Tough draw will be a real Challenge – Dai
WASPS’ Challenge Cup group wouldn’t look out of place in the top-tier European competition.
that is the view of director of rugby Dai Young as his side’s five-year run in the Heineken Champions Cup ended following last season’s short-fallings placing them in the secondary competition for the first time since 2013/14.
Having been placed with resurgent toulouse and then-holders, and eventual finalists, Leinster in a ‘pool of death’ last term, the draw was unkind on Wasps once more, even with the drop into the Challenge Cup.
they start with a trip to Bordeaux, who occupy second spot in the top 14, this weekend.
Also in Pool 3 are last season’s defeated Champions Cup quarter-finalists Edinburgh and another top 14 side in Agen.
“You could quite easily have had this group in the Champions Cup,” said the Welshman. “When the draw was made, Bordeaux and Edinburgh are really tough teams, you don’t know what you’re going to get with Agen. they’ve got the quality to be really good.”
In last season’s Challenge Cup, Bordeaux finished third in their pool, winning only two games and opting to rest big names such as Semi radradra and Matthieu Jalibert allowing Sale Sharks and Connacht to progress to the knock-out stages.
However, they’ve since appointed a new director of rugby in Christophe Urios and are flying high domestically and Young knows the size of the challenge ahead on Saturday evening.
“We go to Bordeaux at the weekend, a really tough place to go, second in the league, second most tries, conceded the second least, they’re a top quality team then obviously back at the ricoh the week after so, from us, it’s improving on the stuff that we need to get better.”
Edinburgh have traditionally been competitive in the Challenge Cup; since the tournament rebranded in 2014 they’ve made four appearances, reaching the final twice and topping their pool three times. they last entered the competition in 2017/18, where they finished top of their group.
Agen’s best result in the competition came in 1998 when they finished runners up to Colomiers, but haven’t made the knockout stages since 2006 and they currently sit 12th in the top 14.
Young knows the benefits Europe’s second-tier competition can bring, having won the Amlin Challenge Cup with Cardiff Blues in 2010, defeating Gloucester in the final.
Having entered the European block of games on the back of three defeats and a win to kick off their Gallagher Premiership campaign, the Welshman is hopeful for a shot in the arm for his side.
“For us, the Challenge Cup is another opportunity to do well and build momentum and obviously build confidence. this result hugely matters, we want to win this game and do well in this game.”
this effect has been mirrored over the last season by the success of the Premiership clubs. In the 2018/19 Challenge Cup, five English sides reached the knockout rounds, with three of those qualifying for the Champions Cup this year and two sitting at the top of the Premiership after the first block of games.
Wasps last featured in the competition in 2013/14, when they won all their pool games and reached the semi-final, to be defeated by Bath.