WASPS BOSS SLAMS EURO SCHEDULING
DAI YOUNG has slammed Wasps’ schedule as ‘unfair’ as they prepare to play Ulster just five days after their last match. Wasps open their Champions Cup campaign on Friday in Belfast having lost 38-19 away to Saracens on Sunday in the Premiership. Ulster, meanwhile, have had a week to prepare after a 16-8 win over Connacht in the Pro14 last Friday.
‘Is it unfair?’ said the Wasps boss. ‘You can’t say it is not, them having seven days and us five. It’s not easy to get right, but we need to avoid five-day turnarounds. I think that is pretty obvious for everybody.’
Wasps fly to Belfast on Thursday meaning they will have trained just twice this week. Young had 15 players out for the trip to Saracens, and rested captain Joe Launchbury.
But the skipper will return to the starting line-up with Nathan Hughes and Jimmy Gopperth also likely to feature. Despite his scheduling gripes, Young will not let his squad use that as an excuse.
‘There is no point in us whingeing,’ he added. ‘If I voice huge negatives, that seeps through to the players. I won’t accept that we won’t play well because it’s a five- day turn-around.
‘I made that pretty clear to the players. It’s not ideal, it’s not fair and it has obviously put us at a disadvantage. We have to deal with it, go there and give it our best.’
European Professional Club Rugby, the governing body for the tournament, said they were not solely responsible for the fixture pile-up and pointed to the fact that Wasps will have nine days between this game and their next match against Harlequins.