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'He was gone, gasping, struggling... but he found something more'
Wasps boss Lee Blackett has paid tribute to the inspiring last-ditch tackle put in by tired prop Biyi Alo when Leicester sought to pull last Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Coventry out of the fire in the last minute. The hosts were clinging on to a 16-13 lead when the league leaders attacked down the left and appeared poised to nab a result-stealing try – just as they had done on Boxing Day at Bristol.
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Ollie Chessum sprinted towards the Wasps 22 on taking an inside pass from George Ford and he had Nic Dolly in support outside him as he drew the cover but before he could exploit the space and get a pass away, he was mowed down by the vigilant tighthead Alo who managed to get across from the ruck he had been previously monitoring.
Alo had come into the match as a half-time replacement for Jeff Toomaga-Allen and it proved to be an energy-sapping second-half battle against a Leicester team that had won all 15 of its previous matches this season in all competitions.
They could well have clinched a 16th successive win had it not been for Alo somehow finding the energy to make his try-saving tackle, defiance that left his coach Blackett mightily impressed when speaking to media ahead of this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup tie versus Toulouse.
“He has come off the back of a couple of kick chases. Just before that, he has come off the back of a scrum, all those scrums in that corner have taken a lot of toll (on him).
Don't think it's unfair to say that Biyi Alo looks absolutely *spent* here as Leicester try to rescue the game against Wasps. Digs deep, finds something and works under the ruck to tackle Ollie Chessum after George Ford's inside ball. A try-saver. pic.twitter.com/AtsIyVZDhV
— Charlie Morgan (@CharlieFelix) January 10, 2022
“He was gone, he was gasping, he was struggling but you know what, when he needed to go for the team he found something more and that was the pleasing thing. He was struggling but he has found an extra level for the team and that is what we show, how desperate we were to win and that probably summed us up, didn’t it?”
Alo, who will have the World Cup-winning Vincent Koch for tighthead company at Wasps next season, recently spoke at length to RugbyPass about a career where he was once dubbed the heaviest player in the Premiership.
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“This pre-season just gone by was my best so far. I maybe only missed one session when I rolled my ankle. I have started to work hard and appreciate that if I am going to do rugby, if I want to succeed at it and I don’t want to let the team down, I have got to be in the best shape possible and take care of myself.
“That was the main driver for me in the off-season. I didn’t want to come back in bad shape and let my team down because I know this season is a big one for the club. That drove me to stay on top of everything and I have managed to get good routines, so I hopefully will stay in good shape and get better.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments