Rowlands continues memorable week with recall
WILL Rowlands has recovered from a knee injury to start against Bordeaux Begles at the Ricoh Arena this afternoon (3pm).
The giant lock, who was called up to the Wales national team this week for the first time ahead of the Guinness Six Nations, is one of ten changes to the Wasps side as they look to end their European Challenge Cup competition on a high against the unbeaten Pool Three leaders.
Five players keep their places from last weekend’s 52-24 win at Agen, with fly-half Lima Sopoaga, winger
Josh Bassett, centre Jimmy Gopperth, fullback Rob Miller and flanker Ashley Johnson all in Dai Young’s starting line-up.
Simon McIntyre makes his first start since November in the front-row alongside hooker Tommy Taylor and tight head prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen while Joe Launchbury has recovered from illness to skipper the side alongside Rowlands in the second-row. Jack Willis and Nizaam Carr are restored to the starting line-up in the back-row with Johnson while Sopoaga will link up with Dan Robson once again in the half-back combination. Malakai Fekitoa starts in the centres alongside Gopperth, with Zach Kibirige joining Bassett and Miller in the back-three.
Wasps defence coach Ian Costello said: “Bordeaux are two-sided. They’ve scored the second-most tries and conceded the second-least, and they sit top of the Top 14 so they have a huge amount of power across the team.
“They have a big, physical and abrasive pack and then behind the scrum they can really hurt you with whichever ten they go with.
“We got quite a few things from last week – from a confidence point of view it was a really strong performance – especially scoring eight tries following a number of changes to the side.
“Players took their opportunities and that’s exactly what we’re after. This week is another opportunity to knock on the door before we play Worcester Warriors back in the Premiership.”
Young’s men cannot qualify for the last eight of their European Challenge Cup. They could move level on points with second-placed Edinburgh, but the Scottish side have the better head-to-head record after winning both tussles between the sides in December.
WASPS: 15 Rob Miller; 14 Zach Kibirige, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Jimmy Gopperth, 11 Josh Bassett; 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Dan Robson; 1 Simon McIntyre, 2 Tommy Taylor, 3 Jeff ToomagaAllen, 4 Joe Launchbury (c), 5 Will Rowlands, 6 Ashley Johnson, 7 Jack Willis, 8 Nizaam Carr.
Replacements: 16 Gabriel Oghre, 17 Tom West, 18 Biyi Alo, 19 Thibaud Flament, 20 Sione Vailanu, 21 Will Porter, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Michael Le Bourgeois.