Will can be Welsh wonder
WASPS’ huge Gallagher Premiership clash against Worcester Warriors is in the management’s focus ahead of this weekend’s ‘isolated challenge’ against Bordeaux Begles.
While tomorrow’s Ricoh Arena clash against the French Top 14 table toppers has little importance for the Black and Golds, who cannot make the knockout stages of the secondtier European competition, the trip to Sixways on January 25 has huge implications for Dai Young’s side domestic campaign.
A return of two wins from eight league games so far leaves the Black and Golds ninth in the table and four points behind seventh-placed Warriors. A Wasps win could see them rise into the top half of the table.
Defence coach Ian Costello said: “We definitely need to look at Worcester the following week. This is an isolated game but as a stand-alone game we want to win it, it’s at the Ricoh, and it’s a huge challenge against a team that haven’t lost since the middle of October.”
Despite making 13 changes to the starting line up and resting several key players, Wasps thrashed Agen 52-24 in France, presenting selection dilemmas for the coachs, who must also juggle the importance of this game in comparison to next week’s Worcester match.
“It’ll be a balance between giving game time, combinations, a few more boys will definitely come back in this week but the beauty is two or three guys from the Agen team have put their hand up and said ‘I need to be selected again this week’. We will look at putting our most competitive team out for Saturday.”
The European Challenge Cup game was the third match in succession in which Wasps have scored four or more tries, backing up the bonus point win over Bristol Bears and the agonising loss to Northampton Saints either side of New Year’s Day. “That Bristol game and then even the first 30 minutes of the Harlequins is definitely the best rugby we’ve played all season,” Costello added. “You hope those combinations and with that better understanding, the team and that excitement and confidence will just have been enhanced from the weekend as well.”