Odogwu wings in for Wasps’ cup challenge
PAOLO Odogwu makes his first start since early January for Wasps against ASM Clermont Auvergne in today’s Heineken Champions Cup tie (12.30pm) – but Alfie Barbeary misses out due to injury.
Odogwu, who spent the entire Guinness Six Nations campaign with England but did not play a minute of the campaign, lines up in a team showing three changes following last Saturday’s defeat against Sale Sharks.
Winger Odogwu played his first minutes in 11 weeks coming off the bench against Sale Sharks last weekend but returns to the starting lineup for the first time since scoring twice in the victory over Bath in early January.
He takes the place of Zach Kibirige on the right wing as Malakai Fekitoa starts at outside centre.
Another player who has been called into Eddie Jones’ squad in recent times, Alfie Barbeary, misses out after picking up a calf muscle injury.
A back-row reshuffle means James Gaskell returns from his calf injury to pack down at blindside flanker, with Brad Shields recovering from his head injury to feature at number eight. Thomas Young remains at openside flanker.
Jacob Umaga has been selected at fly-half to make his Heineken Champions Cup debut. Jimmy Gopperth moves onto the bench with Michael Le Bourgeois operating from inside centre.
Wasps, for a second week running, have only one specialist loosehead prop in the 23-man squad with Jack Owlett, primarily a tighthead, providing cover for starter Ben Harris.
Wasps, beaten five times in their last six Gallagher Premiership games, face a testing encounter against Clermont at the Ricoh Arena. Clermont, European Cup runners-up three times between 2013 and 2017, claimed a notable pool stage victory over Bristol Bears in December, scoring 51 points and seven tries.
They then lost at home to Munster a week later, but Clermont’s competition pedigree is not lost on Wasps head coach Lee Blackett.
“You look at how they started against Bristol – I think they were 28-0 up after about 20 minutes,” Blackett said.
“Then you look at the Munster game and how they got out of the blocks in that one, but fair play to Munster for the way they got themselves back in the game.
“This is not a team to kick long to and allow them to come back at you, so it’s just that fine balance.
“We want high ball in play time, but we have to be very aware of the risk of doing that with a team like Clermont.”
WASPS: 15 Minozzi; 14 Odogwu, 13 Fekitoa, 12 Le Bourgeois, 11 Bassett; 10 Umaga, 9 Robson; 1 Harris, 2 Taylor, 3 Brookes; 4 Launchbury (capt), 5 Rowlands; 6 Gaskell, 7 Young, 8 Shields. Replacements: 16 Oghre, 17 Owlett, 18 Toomaga-allen; 19 Vailanu, 20 T Willis; 21 Wolstenholme, 22 Gopperth, 23 Kibirge.
This is not a team to kick long to and allow them to come back at you, so it’s just that fine balance.
Lee Blackett