1
'He doesn't have an ounce of fat and is pure muscle'
Lee Blackett has admitted that his Wasps players are having to deal with a unique problem in trying to prepare for a Gallagher Premiership play-off semi-final without knowing who the opposition will be at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
With Sale’s postponed game with Worcester still scheduled to go ahead on Wednesday evening, Wasps won’t know until the final whistle if they are hosting Bristol or Sale.
Wasps boss Blackett said: “The hardest thing is to do most of our preparation without knowing who we are playing as we looked at two totally different ways of playing. You have Bristol who are fairly unique and Sale who play a totally different style.
“We played Bristol a couple of weeks ago and so we have done most of our prep and it wasn’t that long ago that we played Sale and while it is a slight disadvantage, we will focus on ourselves.
“In every game, it is about how we can impose our game on the opposition and top four was always our target. We are pretty healthy going into the semi-final with only Rob Miller having been injured. It looks like he has done something to his knee and is going to see a specialist. He could be out for a couple of months.”
"He gives us that big physical edge and we don’t want to tweak him too much"- Wasps boss Lee Blackett is still singing…
Posted by RugbyPass on Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Blackett can take some comfort from knowing that England lock Joe Launchbury and livewire flanker Jack Willis, who has won a staggering 43 turnover this season, will be fit to return to a Wasps team that won eight of its last nine matches to finish in second place behind Exeter.
Wasps could be facing the same Sale side on Saturday that is playing on Wednesday night, giving the Sharks very little recovery time. “Backing up physically you can be a little bit tired, but the big thing is going to be emotionally and I imagine a semi-final is going to get any side up for i. It’s not ideal preparation for them.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The Wasps defence is led by former All Black Malakai Fekitoa in the backs and England flanker Brad Shields up front and both New Zealanders have regained their best form at the most important time of the season. Shields had been dogged by foot injury problems but showed in the 46-5 win over Exeter that he is back to his ball-carrying best while Fekitoa put a massive hit on Exeter’s Tom Wyatt that will be replayed regularly on social media.
Blackett said: “When it gets to this stage it is the defence that matters and it wins competitions. Over the last few years we have been a bit on the small side, quick with the ability to beat people but at times lacked that edge and Malakai gives us that. Just look at how that hit at the weekend raised spirits, and he offers us so much in attack and defence.
“He is pretty pivotal to how we play and you should see how hard that guy works off the field. He doesn’t have an ounce of fat and is pure muscle. He came back after the lockdown in unbelievable condition. Brad is that unsung hero for us in the back row and gives us that extra jumper and is one of our big leaders. He does a lot of the dirty work.”
The Kiwis have been teaching Eddie a thing or two https://t.co/gL9TXKs58e
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 6, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments