HUGHES ADDS TO WOES FOR EDDIE
Wasps No 8 has to hobble off in grim defeat
THE GREAT and the good were at the Ricoh Arena yesterday to launch Wasps’ 150th anniversary celebrations. But they were forced to endure a grim game, a third consecutive defeat and an injury scare involving Nathan Hughes.
Iconic figures from the club’s recent history turned up, many resplendent in bright blazers, for what was supposed to be a colourful celebration. It turned out to be anything but that on a grey day in Coventry. Having become used to home rule since moving to the Midlands, Wasps were forced to endure a second defeat on their new patch in a fortnight.
The loss of Hughes — who hobbled off just before half-time (right) — could be alarming for club and country. Wasps need the No 8 amid an injury epidemic. England need the Fiji-born giant, too, given the loss of Billy Vunipola from their autumn campaign with another knee injury. Hughes stayed down after a heavy collision and was treated on the pitch, apparently suffering from pain in his left leg. He was strapped up and soldiered on, but not for long. The initial prognosis was not one to concern England coach Eddie Jones but he won’t be at ease until tests provide some clarity. Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: ‘Nathan had quite a bad dead leg. He tried to run it off for five minutes but then had to go off. Hopefully he will recover by next week but we aren’t sure at this stage.
‘We weren’t winning the gainline battle and when Nathan went off that was a big loss for us. The physios have said it’s a dead leg and it doesn’t look worse than that, but we aren’t having much luck with injuries at the moment.
‘It’s too early to tell with Nathan but he hasn’t got instability in his knee or anything like that.’
Hughes had at least made a few dents in the Bath defence before his early exit.
Once he had gone, Wasps simply couldn’t make any real headway in the face of fierce resolve from the West Country club — epitomised by their former England Under 20 captain on the blindside flank, Zach Mercer.
They also had the best goforward asset, in the formidable shape of Welsh Lion Taulupe Faletau, although Wasps captain Joe Launchbury put in a driving shift in a losing cause. Young hailed his skipper as ‘amazing’ but it was Bath who took their chances.
Two weeks earlier, Harlequins had become the first side to beat Wasps at home in the league since December 2015. Now Todd Blackadder’s men repeated the feat to climb to fifth in the table and leave their vanquished rivals floundering in eighth.
It was a disjointed, error-riddled affair until the dying minutes, with three penalties by Jimmy Gopperth eclipsed by Rhys Priestland’s three penalties and drop goal for the visitors, before Freddie Burns took over to land two more shots at goal.
Leading 18-9 with three minutes left, Bath finished the job with a turnover which led to a try by Semesa Rokoduguni — his fifth in as many matches — from a shrewd kick through by Jonathan Joseph.
‘We just kept making tackle after tackle,’ said Blackadder.
‘Our game management was a lot better this week.’