Oghre incident a talking point as Wasps end Northampton run
Wasps brought an end to Northampton’s unbeaten start to the Gallagher Premiership season with a 26-20 victory at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The hosts survived a moment of controversy at 20-10 up in the second half when replacement hooker Gabriel Oghre escaped with a yellow card for a high tackle on Alex Mitchell.
Northampton scored soon after through captain Lewis Ludlam, but the ever-reliable boot of Jimmy Gopperth helped take the game away from the visitors, who had gone into half-time level at 10-10.
Saints dominated the early stages, playing the opening 10 minutes in Wasps territory, and got their reward when Juarno Augustus charged through and offloaded superbly for the onrushing Sam Matavesi to score.
The away side lost Matt Proctor to injury after just 14 minutes, meaning an early introduction for Rory Hutchinson.
And Wasps hit back as Oghre and Dan Robson combined to set Zach Kibirige away down the right for a try on his 50th appearance for the club.
Jacob Umaga converted and the scores were level, despite Wasps having only had one meaningful attack in the opening 20 minutes of the game.
Augustus made a huge intervention to stop Wasps scoring again before Dan Biggar slotted a penalty after 26 minutes to put Northampton back in front.
Wasps leveled as Umaga converted a scrum penalty before missing a kick on the stroke of half-time.
Northampton were forced to withdraw full-back George Furbank at the break, bringing Frank Lomani into the action and leaving them with no further back-line replacements.
Wasps thought they had scored early in the second half, but Vaea Fifita’s effort was ruled out for a forward pass in the build-up.
The home side did go ahead for the first time 10 minutes into the second half as Umaga kicked a penalty earned at the scrum.
Umaga missed with another effort soon after, but Wasps were well on top and their dominance told when Thomas Young offloaded brilliantly for Robson to score.
Umaga converted to make it 20-10 to the hosts, but they lost Oghre to the sin bin for a high hit on Mitchell and Northampton soon scored, with Ludlam rumbling over from a lineout drive.
Biggar missed the conversion and Wasps missed a chance of their own at the other end as Umaga sent another effort wide.
Gopperth soon took over kicking duties, landing a penalty that put his team eight points up with 11 minutes to go.
He added another soon after before missing with a third attempt as the Northampton penalty count continued to stack up.
Saints struck at the death as James Fish went over from a lineout drive to earn his side a losing bonus point.
Wasps had done enough to secure victory, but the match ended on a sour note when James Gaskell went down at the end with an apparent ankle injury.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments