Wasps’ fab four set for fond farewell

AN intriguing Aviva Premiership season takes a step closer to its final act at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on Sunday week when Wasps host Northampton Saints in the penultimate round of league action.

The two clubs have produced some memorable games in recent times, and despite Saints having suffered a forgettable campaign, they gave the black-and-golds’ play-off hopes something of a leg-up last weekend by lowering the colours of their East Midlands rivals Leicester at Welford Road.

A Wasps win – ideally accompanied by a bonus point – is essential if they are to reach the semi-finals for a third consecutive season.

Even a maximum-point return does, however, seem unlikely to secure Dai Young’s team the top-two finish which would deliver them a home semi-final. Saracens need only one win from their two remaining fixtures, the first of which is against basement boys London Irish, to clinch the runners-up berth, while Exeter are already home and hosed.

This outcome would make Northampton’s visit the final Ricoh Arena action of the season, and in turn will ratchet up an already huge occasion by another couple of notches as a big home crowd bid an emotional farewell to four favourite sons.

James Haskell will be leaving Wasps after spending 12 years with the club over two spells. The 33-year-old has made 197 appearances, returning to the black-and-gold in 2013 and promptly becoming club captain, while he was a key figure in his club’s relocation to Coventry. Haskell has suffered a couple of debilitating injuries, but at his best remains a destructive force in the back-row.

Danny Cipriani is another on his way out having made 142 appearance across his two spells at Wasps. Like Haskell, the 30-year-old fly-half went through Wasps’ academy prior to bursting into the senior team that won Premierships and European Cups towards the end of the noughties.

Cipriani spent six seasons playing Super Rugby in Melbourne, then joined Sale Sharks before returning in 2016.

Guy Thompson leaves Wasps for Leicester at the end of the season after making 97 appearances. While Thompson, Cipriani and Haskell will say their farewells on the pitch, 26-yearold flanker Sam Jones will have to make do with a half-time appearance in front of the Wasps faithful. The Wasps academy product was last month forced to announce his retirement after failing to recover from a horrendous injury suffered at England training in September 2016.

Tickets for next Sunday’s game are available at www.wasps.co. uk/tickets or by phone on 02476 786411.