Jimmy Gopperth Proves Wasps Are Strong as Ever
Martyn Thomas recaps the weekend of the European Champions Cup where thrilling conclusions were found at every turn.
Speaking to Jimmy Gopperth ahead of Wasps’ European Champions Cup quarterfinal against Exeter on Saturday, the Kiwi fly-half was in modest mood.
“I’m just another cog in the back line,” he told me. “I don’t need to try too much, I just let the players do the work and try and put them in a bit of space.”
It was a typically understated comment from a No.10 who has quietly become one of the most accomplished playmakers in the European club game during spells with Newcastle, Leinster and now Wasps.
And he stayed true to his word at the Ricoh Arena, remaining calm with time running out to put England centre Elliot Daly clear, who in turn fed Charles Piutau to power over for his second try of the match.
With time expired, and a tight touchline conversion to come, the hosts had hauled themselves back into a contest they had trailed by 13 points with only the final quarter remaining.
And for all the individual brilliance of Piutau, Daly and Frank Halai, Wasps’ place in the last four was dependent on the right boot of their fly-half.
Having missed a wide conversion from the opposite side of the pitch earlier in the half, Gopperth would have been forgiven for experiencing a few nerves as he stepped up.
However if he doubted himself, he kept it extremely well hidden as his arms were raised, biceps clenched, in celebration almost as soon as the ball left his boot.
The cog had done its job, sending the ball spinning through the posts and the Wasps into the last four. Providing further evidence, if any were needed, that Danny Cipiriani will not be able to walk straight back into this Wasps team when he returns next season.
Wasps have won the competition on their previous two visits to the semifinals, but they will not be able to rely on history alone this year following the closest weekend of European quarterfinals of the last decade.
That five of the eight losers across the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup ties were beaten by less than a single try is nothing new. In fact it was the same last year.
But, crucially 12 months ago only two quarterfinals were settled three points or less, this year it was four. Indeed, for the first time since the 2009-10 season, two of the eight ties were settled by just a single point.
And these were not dour kicking affairs, either. Wasps’ narrow win over Exeter yielded 49 points and six tries, while Grenoble beat PRO12 leaders Connacht 33-32 in the Challenge Cup despite being outscored four tries to three by their visitors.
Even Leicester’s 41-13 dismantling of a below-par Stade Francais at Welford Road seems close when you consider three quarterfinals in the previous two years had been settled by 32 points or more.
Moreover, it was not merely a weekend rich in competitive rugby but also one on which the champions of both competitions fell.
Toulon, winners of the last three European Cups, had been given a bitter-sweet prize for navigating a tough Pool 5 behind Wasps and were unable to beat Racing 92 in northern France for the second time in a matter of weeks. Even with Maxime Machenaud’s late shank.
Yet, the standout result of the weekend was arguably staged in England’s west country, where Newport Gwent Dragons arrived as a club in crisis and left having beaten Challenge Cup holders Gloucester on their own patch.
Erratic as the Cherry and Whites can be it was some way for the Welsh region to end a week in which they had been put up for sale.
The Dragons’ appearance in the last four of the second tier competition does, though, highlight the growing hegemony of the English and French clubs.
Connacht were unable to hold onto a commanding lead that would have seen them join them. But with the PRO12’s representation long eliminated from the Champions Cup, it was a weekend that did little to assuage the growing sense that Aviva Premiership and Top 14 clubs are sprinting off into the distance.
That is a problem that European Professional Club Rugby, PRO12 and its unions should address, but is also a debate for another time.
For now, the continent’s rugby fans should be allowed to bask in a thrilling weekend of action safe in the knowledge they have another to look forward to in a fortnight’s time.
Comments on RugbyPass
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to comments