Gopperth: Ending drought will prove selectors wrong
Wasps v Leicester
WASPS will head into the play-offs fuelled by a burning sense of injustice over their international exclusions, according to newly crowned players’ player-of-the-year Jimmy Gopperth.
A record-breaking regular season campaign saw Wasps finish on top of the Premiership for the first time since play-offs began in 2003, but that cut little ice with Lions boss Warren Gatland who ignored the claims of James Haskell and in-form lock Joe Launchbury, below.
Christian Wade’s 17 league tries were insufficient to force him into Eddie Jones’ England reckoning, while the Red Rose boss also raised eyebrows by omitting Dan Robson, Joe Simpson, Matt Symons and Tommy Taylor from his 31-man touring party to Argentina.
It is against that backdrop Wasps will take on Midlands neighbours Leicester this Saturday, with Gopperth telling The Rugby Paper: “With their form this year and the way we’ve played it is disappointing that our guys didn’t get more recognition.
“To finish top of the log scoring record numbers of tries, you’d expect that we’d have had a lot more recognition. But that’s other people’s opinion and we’ve just got to go out there now and make sure we prove all those doubters wrong by making the final.”
Wasps are aiming to end a nine-year trophy drought but Gopperth knows Leicester are capable of spoiling the party, having fought their way into the play-offs on the back of winning four of their last five league games to partly salvage a traumatic campaign.
Gopperth said: “Leicester will fancy their chances at the Ricoh. It’s just down the road for them and they’ve been in semi-finals for the last 13 years, so there’s no more experienced Premiership team in these situations and they know how to win these big games.
“With their league form being flat at the start of the season they’ll be buzzing to have made this stage and they’ve given themselves an opportunity when most people had written them off. They’ve come back in typical fashion and it will be a hell of a game.”
Wasps’ noholds-barred, ‘risk and reward’ game produced a record 89 tries during the 22-game regular season but cost them 61 tries at the other end, raising question marks over their defensive resilience in really big games when silverware is up for grabs. However, defiant Gopperth counters: “Last weekend against Saracens we showed a lot of risk in scoring five tries, but our defensive effort was massive. Saracens were missing a few of their star names but their so-called second string are pretty amazing as well so we were heavily tested. Our defence held pretty firm so we’ll look to reproduce that effort.”
After scooping both the club’s players’ player and supporters’ player-of-theyear awards, Gopperth, completed a remarkable personal treble at the Rugby Players’ Associations’ bash last Wednesday evening when he was honoured by his league peers.
Gopperth, 33, who joined Newcastle in 2009 and spent two years at Leinster before linking with Wasps in 2015, said: “It’s probably been my best season in Europe.
“It’s been really enjoyable at Wasps and playing in a number of positions – 10, 12 and 15 – has broadened my game and given myself a bit more freedom.
“I’ve relished that and it’s been so enjoyable to play this style of rugby, so when you get these awards it’s a reflection of how well the team is going. I’m reaping the rewards of everyone else’s hard work and I can only thank my teammates.”
With Leicester looming large, Gopperth added: “Finishing top of the table is no mean feat on its own but the job is not done. We’ve got a big opportunity and, hopefully, we’ve got a couple of big games to come, but Leicester will provide a massive first hurdle.”