Wasps take a French lesson in tackle law
WASPS have focused on the breakdown ahead of today’s visit to Thomond Park to face Munster having struggled to cope with the French referee’s policing of it when the sides met in Coventry last month.
Romain Poite was in charge then and another Frenchman, Tual Trainini, will hold the whistle in Limerick. Matt Everard, Wasps’ defence coach, said they were caught out last month by the higher tolerance threshold shown to a tackler by French officials.
“It was disappointing to lose to Munster at home and we learned a lot,” said Everard. “We did not react well enough at the breakdown where they turned us over and the French referee caught us out with his interpretation of the tackler rolling away which was different to what we are used to because they are strict on that in the Premiership.
“We have worked really hard given that we have another French referee this weekend to fully understand what he is looking for at the breakdown and how he interprets the tackler rolling away. It is a big game and we have to be as prepared as we can.”
Wasps go into the match buoyed by victories over the Premiership leaders Leicester, who lost their season’s unbeaten record in Coventry at the start of the month, and the Champions Cup holders Toulouse. When they last faced Munster, they were on a five-match losing streak.
“We are managing games better now and playing in the right areas of the pitch,” said Everard. “We are looking like the Wasps of old in terms of the pace at which we play and our line speed in defence and we are going there to win.
“It is always tough against Irish sides because they have fewer professional sides than England and so their international
players are spread more thickly. Munster play in a city which revolves around the rugby club, but while we have made the lads aware of what to expect, it is about us and what we have done in the last couple of weeks.
“We have been gritty and dogged and have put
in a Test match effort. We go into the game with momentum and with players returning that can snowball. It is great to have big Joe Launchbury back in training, a phenomenal captain and a big leader for us and a brilliant player. He and Malekai Fekitoa should be in contention in a week.”
Wasps have made eight changes from the side that defeated Toulouse. Dan Robson returns at scrumhalf having missed the previous ten matches with a groin injury, but Jimmy Gopperth is one of 17 players who are unavailable through injury along with Biyi Alo and Alfie Barbeary, key figures against Toulouse.
Jacob Umaga is also
missing after picking up his second red card and suspension of the season for a high tackle. The outside-half, who was at full-back last weekend, was banned for a month while Toulouse’s No.8 Anthony Jelonch escaped with a yellow card for a high hit on Barbeary, who failed a head injury assessment after the match.
“A four-week ban was the best outcome we could have hoped for,” said Everard. “Jacob has worked hard on his tackle technique but he went into the challenge with the wrong shoulder and the French player (Martin Page-Pelo) put in some footwork and Jacob did not react.
“All the coaching team thought it would be a red
and we immediately started planning for going down to 14 men which is why we did not appeal the sending off. Jacob was having a really good game, but it was the right decision in terms of player welfare because it was head on head. Equally, all of us thought that Jelonch’s challenge merited a yellow card because there was a mitigating factor, a tackler bringing down Alfie’s height.
“We get a referee report after every game and there is a colour code whether a decision was right or wrong. It is a good system and it is valuable to build relationships with referees.”
Wasps are now in ninth place following Cardiff’s five points for the cancelled game at Toulouse, leaving them needing at least a point. “All we are thinking about is winning the match,” said Everard. “We know they are class opposition and it has to be about us.”