Bassett’s buzzing ahead of play-off shootout with Chiefs
WINGER Josh Bassett insists Wasps will not crumble as they aim to complete one of rugby’s great comebacks and secure a home semi-final next weekend.
Wasps had looked down and out in February after an 18-9 defeat at Leicester left them in 10th place on 18 points. Since then Lee Blackett’s men have rocketed into title contention with ten wins in 11 games, garnering 48 points in the process.
The question now is whether they will embrace the pressure of expectation or blow their lines against what effectively amounts to the Exeter Chiefs’ ‘B’ team?
Bassett has no doubts over the answer, telling The Rugby Paper: “As professional sportsmen you work as hard as you can to get this pressure and you want to get excited about it. You don’t want to hide from it, you want to get out there and enjoy it.
“At the beginning of the season you set out to get in the top six, but then you go on a bit of a run and start thinking about making the top four. Now it’s down to the last game and we have a chance of the top two, so this is why we play and it’s exciting.”
Bassett added: “Exeter at home, it doesn’t get much bigger than this and we’re looking forward to it. We’d love to have the fans there, but it’s in our hands being in the position we are now and we’re in control of our own destiny, to a certain extent.
“You look through our squad and we’ve got experienced guys who’ve been in quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals before, but we’ve also got some youngsters who have shown great fortitude this season as well with the opportunities they’ve had.”
While Exeter are far from full-strength as they shield their big guns ahead of potentially three huge weekends of semi-final and finals action, Bassett said:
“We’re preparing for Exeter, that’s it.
“They’ve got a very strong squad, so whatever team they send will come here and expect to put in an 80-minute performance.
They’re going to be well drilled and very motivated after losing in the week, so you know what’s coming. You’ve seen in the Premiership that all their teams are strong, no matter who they
pick, so we’re preparing for a full-on battle.”
Meanwhile, scrum-half Sam Maunder, left, makes his first Premiership start for Chiefs as a youthful side aim to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss to London Irish.
Maunder, 20, said: “With all the big games coming up it’s an opportunity for young guys to get out there and the coaches always say that when you get these chances, you need to take it and run with it and a lot of lads have come in and done really well.
“It was disappointing against London Irish, so we’ll aim to put a few bits right. Wasps will come out all guns blazing because they’ve got a lot to play for, but we’ll go there not worrying about what anyone else wants and I’m expecting a good match-up.”
Bassett slots in at his usual place on the left wing as all of Lee Blackett’s changes concern the forwards, where talismanic duo Jack Willis and Joe Launchbury are ruled out through injury.
Wales flanker Thomas Young replaces Willis, with-Will Rowlands and James Gaskell form the lock combination in Launchbury’s absence.
In the front row, Simon McIntyre and Tommy Taylor come in for Ben Harris and Tom Cruse.
Exeter boss Rob Baxter rotates his squad with none of the side that started last week’s Champions Cup semi-final win involved. Baxter hands full Premiership debuts to academy graduates James Kenny, Charlie Wright and Sam Maunder, while experienced internationals Dave Dennis and Alex Cuthbert also start.