1
The 'little concern' Wasps have about England prospect Barbeary
Wasps have backed their uncapped back-rower Alfie Barbeary for an England Guinness Six Nations call-up but Lee Blackett, the Gallagher Premiership club’s boss, has also revealed the one “little concern” he has about the fast-rising 21-year-old star. It was October 2018 when the Test level prospect made his professional debut, scoring on his Premiership Cup debut at Gloucester as a teenager.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the time, Barbeary was viewed as a promising hooker but he has since come of age in the Wasps back row where he has scored three tries in six recent appearances this winter having finally shaken off syndesmosis and hamstring issues.
Barbeary wouldn’t be the first young Wasps back-rower to earn rave reviews at this time of the year. Only last January, Jack Willis was making headlines and he forced his way into the Six Nations reckoning with England only to have that opportunity cruelly ruined by the serious knee injury sustained just minutes after scoring at Twickenham against Italy.
Wasps boss Blackett is a believer that age should never be a barrier to selection and he is backing Barbeary to get a look-in next Tuesday when Eddie Jones announces his England squad for the upcoming 2022 Six Nations.
However, given the rising star’s frustrations with soft tissue injuries, Blackett is conscious of the need to keep a careful eye on him to ensure he doesn’t suffer any similar injury setbacks after a winter where he has come into his own with a rich vein of form he will now look to continue with this Saturday versus European champions Toulouse in the Heineken Champions Cup.
Look who is back in action this weekend ?#Wasps #England #HeinekenChampionsCup #WASvTOU
https://t.co/bNEzJvI4Aw— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 12, 2022
“I’d liked to think so,” said Blackett when asked if he reckoned Barbeary was set to become the latest youngster from Wasps to merit England squad selection. “I’d like to think there is still more in Alfie. We are going to have to see his consistency now playing week in week out but I think everyone is taking note. We know the potential he has got and he is only going to get better the more he plays. I hope so. I hope there is a few Wasps players in that (England) squad.”
The Wasps boss added that no one should have any concerns that Barbeary is only a 21-year-old Premiership rookie. “I am always of the opinion that it doesn’t matter their age, if they are good enough they are good enough!
ADVERTISEMENT
“We just have to make sure we manage his load. That is my concern with this, that he is managed. We want to get him out there as much as we can, and that would be my little concern around this, but with what he gives in a game, he comes up with big moments consistently. You saw that with the turnover at the backend of the game (against Leicester last Sunday), it was as good a penalty I have had at Wasps as a coach.”
That penalty-winning Barbeary intervention helped Wasps seal their 16-13 win over the previously unbeaten Leicester and it sparked a massive outpouring of emotion on the pitch in Coventry. “It is my favourite (Barbeary moment) because is it’s just the reaction of the players.
“There’s nothing else in it… if you ever see the clip just look at the emotion of the players. That is why it goes down as one of my favourites if not the favourite. It’s just the emotion of the players that I liked.”
Barbeary will line out at blindside flanker this weekend versus Toulouse in a Wasps XV showing five changes from last Sunday, Paolo Odogwu, Jacob Umaga, James Gaskell, Biyi Alo and Rodrigo Martinez all coming into the side. Having recovered from an ACL injury, outside centre Odogwu is featuring for the first time since May 2021.
WASPS (vs Toulouse, Saturday)
15 Jacob Umaga; 14 Ali Crossdale, 13. Paolo Odogwu, 12. Jimmy Gopperth, 11. Josh Bassett; 10. Charlie Atkinson, 9. Sam Wolstenholme; 1. Rodrigo Martinez, 2. Tom Cruse, 3. Biyi Alo, 4. Tim Cardall, 5. James Gaskell, 6. Alfie Barbeary, 7. Brad Shields, 8. Tom Willis. Reps: 16. Dan Frost, 17. Zac Nearchou, 18. Pieter Scholtz, 19. Nizaam Carr, 20. Thomas Young, 21. Will Porter, 22. Rob Miller, 23. Ryan Mills.
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