HUGHES A CLEVER BOY

Young’s kick up the backside fires Nathan into life as Wasps snatch late, late victory over Saints

WASPS boss Dai Young gave Nathan Hughes a kick up the backside that helped the forward drag them over the line against Northampton.

Hughes (circle, top) was benched yesterday after flopping in Wasps’ Champions Cup car-crash defeat in Dublin a fortnight ago.

The England No.8 emerged after 45 minutes with Wasps struggling, but helped them grab the game – thanks to Matt Mullan’s last-gasp score – and go five points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Young said: “He was not the Nathan Hughes we know and love, but he responded today. No one likes being put on the bench, but that is my job. I am not here to make people happy.

“Sometimes people need a little bit of a jolt. We have had a pretty stable 24-25 and you don’t make adjustments on the back of one game, but we were not great against Worcester and we were not great against Leinster.

“You have to shake the tree a bit – that doesn’t mean it is for the rest of the season, but people have got to know they have to earn their spot.”

The win preserved Wasps unbeaten 18-month record in the Premiership at the Ricoh Arena, but it was a long time coming.

The leaders did a decent impression of the team sunk by Leinster a fortnight for the first half and were 18-13 down at the break.

A bit of Christian Wade magic got them back in the lead, but Teimana Harrison’s score on 69 minutes gave Saints a 30-25 lead.

Jimmy Gopperth (with Matt Symons, circle, bottom) converted all three tries and kicked two penalties. Young added: “We gave away too many points and we caused ourselves lot of problems. “We were not accurate enough early doors then you have got to scrap your way back.” The Saints, with Stephen Myler missing five kicks, let this one slip and are now big odds-against to make the play-offs. Boss Jim Mallinder said: “We will look back on some small incidents that made a big difference.”

Wasps: Tries: Daly, Wade, Simpson, Mullan; Cons: Gopperth (3); Pens: Gopperth (2)

Northampton: Tries: Foden, A. Waller, North, Tuala, Harrison; Con: Myler; Pen: Myler