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Blackett on 'frustrated' Barbeary and how Wasps lost Jimmy Gopperth

By PA
Jimmy Gopperth of Wasps clears the ball upfield (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Lee Blackett believes it is only a matter of time before Alfie Barbeary is capped by England after the back-rower scored two tries for Wasps in their 41-24 victory over Bath days after being released by the national side.

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Barbeary, who came off the bench after five minutes when Brad Shields suffered a rib injury, also missed out on selection against Scotland but Wasps head coach Blackett predicted the 21-year old’s chance would come.

“I was really pleased with Alfie today,” said Blackett, whose side came from behind late on for the second week in a row to secure a bonus-point victory.

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“It is not easy for players to come back frustrated from an England camp in the middle of a week and rock right back in.

“It was why we picked him on the bench and while he came on earlier than anticipated, he put in a big performance.

“I know England are happy with what they have seen and if he keeps working hard his chance will come, whether in this camp or the next one, because he has the ability to play international rugby.”

Another of Blackett’s England hopefuls, wing Paolo Odogwu, also scored two tries to make it four in two weeks after his brace at Exeter.

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“Paolo has the X factor and there is a lot more to come from him,” said Blackett. “He knows what he has to work on and he is going in the right way.”

Blackett confirmed that centre Jimmy Gopperth, who turns 39 in June, will be joining Leicester in the summer after seven years at Wasps.

“I had a chat with Jimmy in December,” said Blackett.

“He has been playing superbly, but we were unable to make a decision then because of the reduction in the salary cap and the fact he will be 39 next season. Leicester nipped in and he has signed for them but I know he will be giving his all for us in the next few months.”

For the second week in a row, Blackett was pleased with the outcome rather than the overall performance of his side who moved to within one point of a play-off position after their fourth successive league victory.

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It was Bath’s 10th successive away league defeat, but even after the dismissal of Semesa Rokoduguni at the start of the second half for a high tackle on Sam Spink that left the centre concussed they were on top.

They led by seven points, but when Tom de Glanville was sent to the sin-bin with 13 minutes to go for a deliberate knock-on, they folded and conceded four tries.

“It was a great effort by the players,” said head coach Neal Hatley.

“The red card was a turning point but the sin-binning finished us off. I do not want to talk about Semesa’s sending off, but Tom left the referee with no choice because there were numbers outside him.

“There was a lot for us to take from the game and we have to pick ourselves up for Leicester next weekend.”

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J
JW 50 minutes ago
Three former All Blacks assess the playing style adopted against France

Yep Wilson at least does a lot of such research but I think it’s only when it revolves around the All Blacks etc, like he go and find out why Ireland whipped our butt etc, and come back with a view we need to imrpove and do x y z like such and such is.


But none of them are individuals that are a) any sort of quality coach/analyst of the game (NPC the highest), or b) seem to consume stupids amount of rugby for the love of it like people in a similar profession in other top leagues. Johnson is probably the only one I would say comes close to that but is a pure fan, I don’t think he has any pro knowledge.


To be fair to them, the best in say soccer or american football would get paid a hundred times what these guys do, but it’s so hard in those markets that all panelists have to be students of the game just to get a shot. And in the case of Beaver, he is like the Ian Smith of cricket, he’s a knowledgable gu, enough to lead people down the wrong track (they would believe him), but they’re both very obvious in their more parochial opinions that you know to take what Beavers saying with a grain of salt. Wilson, Marshall, and even Mils go off like they think theyre the bees knees,


Admittedly things are changing globably, i’ve glimpsed enough football shows to know the Britsih media are happy, and the fans too soaking it up, getting the most high profile ex players on a show as the best way to increase ratings.

13 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Beauden Barrett weighs in on controversial yellow card

It’s an interesting question because a normal diberate knock on is just a penalty offense, an normal infringement like any other, so that’s deemed where the was not a reasonable chance to catch the ball.


But it’s a ruling that can also be upgraded to a foul, and by association, a yellow card, when it’s it was also deliberately trying to deny the ball to another player. For instance, that is why they are just given penalties up the field, because the player has just made a bad decision (one where he had no reasonable chance) and he doesn’t really care if the pass had gone to hand for his opponents or not (he was just thinking about being a hero etc).


So the way the refs have been asked to apply the law is to basically just determine whether there was an overlap (and not to try and guess what the player was actually thinking) or not, as to whether it’s a penalty or a YC.


This is the part Barrett doesn’t like, he’s essentially saying “but I had no idea whether they were likely to score or not (whether there was an unmarked man), so how can you tell me I was deliberately trying to prevent it going to someone, it could have been a blind pass to no one”.


It’s WR trying to make it clear cut for fans and refs, if at the players expense.

But yes, also you must think it entirely possible given both were foul plays that they could both go to the bench. Much the same as we see regularly when even though the play scores a try, they have started sending the player off still.


And while I agree Narawa didn’t knock it on, I think the ball did go forward, just off the shoulder. As his hands were up in the air, above the ball, basically like a basketball hope over his right shoulder, I guess you’re right in that if it did make contact with his hands it would have had to be deflected backwards onto his shoulder etc. Looking at the replay, Le Garrec clearly lost control of the ball forward too, but because Barrett was deemed to have committed a deliberate act, that overrides the knockon from 9.


I just don’t understand how they can consider it a deliberate attempt to block a pass when he actually lost the ball forward!

46 Go to comments
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