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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.

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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.  

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

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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. 

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“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. 

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“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.”

 

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Adrian 1 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

8 Go to comments
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Trevor 4 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
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Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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