RED... NOT DEAD
Blackett hails stars for overcoming Umaga setback for win
Wasps 30 Toulouse
By ADAM HATHAWAY
WASPS boss Lee Blackett claimed this was one of his best days at the club as his side defied Jacob Umaga’s red card to humble the European champions.
Umaga was sent off for a high tackle 33 minutes into the first half, but somehow Wasps – with Alfie Barbeary brilliant in the back row – won.
Tries from Biyi Alo, Brad Shields and Barbeary, with Jimmy Gopperth’s boot, made it the greatest afternoon Wasps have had since winning this competition in 2007.
Umaga’s card (right) was his second in two games after he was sent off on Boxing Day against London Irish and this
22
was his first match back. But Wasps, who leaked a try in the first minute, reorganised their back three and piled into the French with Blackett beaming.
He said: “It would have to be up there with the best wins. I think it’s the way we won.
“I thought that in the first 10 minutes we gave them too much respect. The first try was soft.
Then there was an air of confidence the more and more we built into the game. We started to move the ball really well and we managed to get field position with some good attacking kicks. How we managed the red card is the most pleasing thing.” Referee Chris Busby, in his first
Champions Cup game, came down hard on Umaga when he tackled Toulouse scrum-half Martin Page Relo and the pair clashed heads.
But fly-half Charlie Atkinson was tackling Relo around the legs forcing his head down so Umaga may have been unlucky.
And Toulouse No.8 Anthony Jelonch escaped with a yellow for a headhigh challenge on Barbeary in the second half, but it could have been different on another day with another ref.
Blackett added: “We’ve got to lower our height. It’s difficult when people are changing direction but as long as we lower our height we don’t bring in the interpretation of the referee. For their one, it looked aggressive. Without listening to what the referee said I can see why he would give yellow as there was probably a fraction of mitigation with him going down, but it could easily have been red.
“Jacob is gutted. I thought he was outstanding in the first half at 15. He gave us a real edge there and unfortunately we are sat here looking at another ban.”
Barbeary capped his man-ofthe-match display with a gamebreaking try on 67 minutes. WASPS: Tries: Alo, Shields, Barbeary. Pens: Gopperth (3).
Cons: Gopperth (3).
TOULOUSE: Tries: Cros, Mauvaka, Meafou. Pen: Ramos.
Cons: Ramos (2).