Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

22 tries in 4 straight bonus-point wins... but rookie Wasps boss Blackett isn't milking the credit

By Liam Heagney
Wasps head coach Lee Blackett. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Rookie head coach Lee Blackett doesn’t do hype when it comes to Wasps’ recent revival. Quizzed on the eye-catching transformation – four straight Gallagher Premiership wins is a vein of league form not experienced since six games were won on the bounce in winter 2017 – and he kicks to touch, suggesting there has been no great alchemy on his part.

ADVERTISEMENT

Being modest about the rapid improvement is his approach to life just now rather than any revelling in the impressive moments which few – if any – genuinely saw materialising so quickly. Wasps appeared a beaten docket when long-serving Dai Young stepped down last February with just three wins in nine 2019/20 league outings.  

And while the Blackett era soon got off to a bum note, Wasps losing at Leicester that same weekend after Young headed off, their results since have been exemplary – four matches, four bonus-point wins, 169 points and a bountiful 22 tries. Only Bristol can boast better. And yet, the new Wasps man would have you believe he is merely a lucky general enjoying the rub of the green rather than someone who is doing something very right.  

Video Spacer

Jim Hamilton picks the XV he would like to see start for the Lions in 2021’s first Test versus South Africa

Video Spacer

Jim Hamilton picks the XV he would like to see start for the Lions in 2021’s first Test versus South Africa

Wasps’ spluttering attack hasn’t looked back since their eight-try, 60-point beasting of Saracens, a haul followed five-try harvests versus both London Irish and Gloucester before last Sunday’s most impressive belt notch yet, their four-try bonus-point win at fancied Northampton which lifted them into fourth place on the ladder.

Saints boss Chris Boyd claimed in the aftermath he didn’t see the reversal coming. Blackett did, though, the newly promoted assistant thriving due to the confidence coursing through Wasps just now. 

With an inexperienced Worcester next at the Ricoh this Friday, there is every chance Blackett’s freshly-energised charges will play host to Sale next Tuesday seeking a sixth win on the bounce – quite the transformation from the dreary days of February when it seemed their campaign was done and dusted.

Just don’t praise the new man for his role in the rejuvenation. “The turnaround has been positive but there were signs coming anyway,” said Blackett on a Microsoft Teams call ahead of welcoming the Warriors. “I knew there were some good performances just around the corner. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“We just lacked a little bit of confidence and probably have done for over the last year, and you can see we weren’t a million miles away. At the weekend we were six points up, four minutes to go, they make a break on the right-hand side and that is the difference between winning and losing games. 

“When teams are really confident you find a way to win it. When you’re not confident we somehow found a way of losing. We lost to Northampton just after Christmas right at the end with Northampton down to 13 men. We probably needed just a bit of confidence. 

“We went out against Saracens and we got that. Since then we have never really looked back. We’re pleased with how it has gone. The players have to take credit in terms of the leadership, especially the main leaders in the group. They have done a fantastic job.

We have not tweaked too much. There is little tweaks on the field but nothing that you would say you go from losing one week to putting in that type of performance we did against Saracens. The biggest thing is probably the confidence and leadership. Definitely, I would say it is both of those. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“I like to give people the feeling of confidence. I want them to be able to go out there, express themselves, be who they are and try and create an environment that is positive and drives confidence within the group. Whether that is staff or players it doesn’t matter. That is the big thing, I’d like to think that is what the perception is but whether it is or not we’ll see. 

“I’d like to think we are trying to create. I don’t want to make this about me. It’s about everyone within the group creating. We are all together trying to create a culture that drives confidence and allows people to go and express themselves. One individual can’t do that. That’s a collective, that’s players, that’s staff, that’s all of us together.”

If last Sunday is anything to go by, Wasps fans eager to rekindle the halcyon days of their history will be glad that Blackett, instead of winging it week to week as was the case in spring when he was initially nudged into succeeding Young, now has the benefit of the five-month lockdown to inflame optimism that he is the real deal as a Premiership head coach.

“It’s a little bit like having a pre-season,” said Blackett of the lockdown layoff. “You get some of your ideas across and you can slightly tweak things, plus another big thing that most people realise is we have changed more or less the whole S&C department, so fresh ideas, new ideas coming in, so everything felt a bit fresher to me. New coaches as well… 

“It feels like a completely different environment at this moment in time and that probably helped. It gave time to bed ideas in and just tweak little things here and there. Obviously, the big advantage is knowing the boys from beforehand as well (as an assistant) so you’d built up those relationships. 

“But it probably did feel a bit different at the weekend. Before everything felt you were going game to game, this (lockdown) gave five months to get some planning in place for that first game vs Northampton.”

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Juan Ignacio Brex: 'Italy made history, but it's not enough' Juan Ignacio Brex: 'Italy made history, but it's not enough'
Search