Young waits on injured Wasps pair
DIRECTOR of rugby Dai Young confirmed Wasps picked up two injuries at the Premiership 7s.
The Black and Golds progressed to the final of the two-day event at Franklin’s Gardens but, for a second successive season, they were defeated in the cup final by Saracens.
Ben Vellacott, a summer signing from Gloucester and Dan Robson’s main competition for the scrum-half shirt, was one of Wasps’ star players on Friday when they scored 98 points against Bath and Leicester.
However, having appeared in the quarter-final clash with Leicester Tigers on Saturday, Vellacott did not reappear for semifinal and final after suffering a ‘knee knock’.
Director of rugby Dai
Young, who was present for both days of the event, revealed more about the injury during Wasps’ media session ahead of the visit of Saracens to the Ricoh Arena as the block of four Premiership Cup games gets underway. “Ben’s was a hyperextension of his knee. He’s gone for a scan but he’s walking around but you can never tell. I’ve been over confident and pessimistic, I will keep my powder dry on that, I really don’t know how bad it is going to be. But all the early signs are positive.”
Fellow scrum-half Will Porter was a try scorer in the final against Saracens but was replaced early on and did not return to the field of play as Wasps tired to ultimately lose 35-17. “Ports twinged his hamstring, we’re not expecting that to be too bad,” explained Young.
The Telegraph revealed last week that big-name summer signing Malakai Fekitoa had suffered a calf injury while Lima Sopoaga also said he has pulled his calf three times during the pre-season period.
With games against Northampton Saints, Sale and Worcester Warriors to follow Saturday’s match with Wasps on Saturday in the Premiership Cup, Young is hopeful to see all of his current squad in action.
“Everybody else in the squad has
had periods during pre-season when they haven’t trained as often as we would’ve liked, he said. “The good thing is we’re pretty confident everybody will play some part in these four games.
“That’s where we are when it comes to injuries. If I get to the fourth game and there’s people who haven’t played, we will probably have to go on the record and say where they are and why they haven’t played.
“I am pretty confident Jack Willis, Tom Willis, Lima (Sopoaga), Malakai (Fekitoa), Thomas (Young), Simon McIntyre, all these guys are coming back at different times, but they’re not too far but I am confident they will all figure at some point in these four games.”
Focusing on Sopoaga, Young added: “He’s back running now, unless something happens, the week before the last game and Lima hasn’t featured, we are pretty much expecting him to feature in one of these four games, I don’t think it will be the first two, more likely the third or fourth. I am pretty confident in Malakai, Thomas, Jack, Tom Willis, pretty much will all figure before the start of the season.”
Wasps’ Gallagher Premiership season gets underway on Sunday, September 20 at the Ricoh Arena.