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'A lot of players went through a slump': Why Wasps are 28 points worse off than last term
It’s been a cruel few months for Wasps, the buzz of last October’s Gallagher Premiership final appearance replaced by the frustrating downturn that has them involved in a pair of eighth-place finals over the next two weekends, starting this Saturday at London Irish and wrapping up next week with a home derby versus Leicester.
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Their season wasn’t supposed to turn out like this, a messy squabble over a minor placing to ensure they qualify for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup. But hard luck and annoyance have been the story of a campaign where they have managed just eight wins and 43 points, leaving them 33 points behind leaders Bristol after 20 rounds.
That is a stark reduction from last term’s 14 wins and the giddy total of 71 points that was good enough for a second-place finish, just three points behind the eventual champions Exeter. What gives?
Boss Lee Blackett knows his Wasps must finish out their deflating Premiership campaign – his first full season in charge after succeeding Dai Young in February 2020 – as best they can over the next two Saturdays, a task that is foremost on his mind, but he also knows the extent of the groundwork that much go in to ensure the misfortunes of 2020/21 aren’t repeated in 2021/22. A rest and a pre-season simply can’t come quick enough for them.
“Last year we won twelve out of 13 on the bounce to get to the final and when are able to put our best team that is where we are,” explained Blackett when asked by RugbyPass what he will be reflecting on most when the final whistle is blown on Wasps’ Premiership season on June 12, a misadventure where Jack Willis, Joe Launchbury and now Paolo Odogwu have all wound up seriously injured.
"You’ll find that guys that come in this quickly sometimes pick up knocks and Charlie is pretty resilient in that way"
– Nine months after getting mown down by the red-carded Owen Farrell, 19-year-old Charlie Atkinson is earning kudos at Wasps https://t.co/8a3EMjXKjo
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 2, 2021
“We started this season without our internationals, we won one out of three and then we had five games on the bounce with our internationals back and we went and won all five. Then it came to the Six Nations and we went through a rocky period again, winning two out of eight, and then recently the form seems to have carried on, losing touch with the top four and losing quite a few games at the death.
“One thing I would say is just making sure of our strength in depth, we keep working on our squad guys as much as possible and looking at some of the internationals and trying to strengthen those areas as well (whey they are away). It’s why we have gone and got (Francois) Hougaard to give us a little experience in our half-backs, especially if Dan (Robson) goes away.
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“When Joe (Launchbury) goes away in the second row we have gone and got Elliott Stooke but we want another second row. And in the back row, we are still looking. Hopefully, we are getting pretty close to sorting a deal out for a back row for when Jack (Willis) goes away or is missing with injury.
“It’s really just making sure of our strength in depth and we are working hard on the guys underneath our frontline players. To be fair that was a massive strength for us going to the final. Some of our squad guys came through, some of our younger guys came through, but a lot of players just went through a bit of a slump and a lot of them are hopefully coming out the other end.
“There are a lot of players needing a break at the moment. They have played a lot of rugby, and a lot of rugby for the first time as well, playing first-team rugby for the full 12 months for the first-ever time. It can take its toll.
“What we need at this moment of time is a good break at the end of this season, a refresh, and we’re going into a new training ground as well. We had no time off after getting to the final, a couple of weeks with five sessions before we played Bristol in the first game, we had no pre-season.
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“Having that ability to have that pre-season, as we did after lockdown, will hopefully kick us into gear straight away and we are in need of a pre-season as well. There are a lot of tired bodies out there at the moment. But look, as much as I want to talk about holidays and about the off-season and pre-season, we can’t get away from this weekend. Everyone at the club wants to be coming back to a team that is playing in Europe.”
"I've had conversations with the referee a couple of times. I spoke to Spreaders as well… I was really frustrated after the game"
– Lee Blackett has revisited post-game comments and also addressed the Gloucester-Bath cancellation that has hurt Wasps https://t.co/gwuXC3T02x
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 1, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
50 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
50 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
50 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
50 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
50 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
50 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
50 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments