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Wasps seek help after becoming the most penalised team in the Premiership
Wasps are seeking help from referees after becoming the most penalised team in the Gallagher Premiership as they prepare to face leaders Bristol on Friday night.
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Wasps have conceded 153 penalties this season and while on a positive note they lead the list in most turnovers won, recent matches have seen a spike in problems with referees with Saturday’s 20-19 loss to Gloucester featuring 15 penalties and a yellow card of Malakai Fekitoa.
As a result, Lee Blackett, the Wasps director of rugby, is planning to call in a referee to work with the players in training in a bid to improve their discipline while also asking Tony Spreadbury, the Rugby Football Union’s refereeing chief for feedback.
Blackett, whose team have now lost four home games in a row for the first time since they moved to the Ricoh Arena in 2014, now finds himself in ninth place and ten points off the play-off places. Wasps were beaten by Exeter in last season’s play-off final at Twickenham but have little chance of being back in the title mix unless they clean up their disciplinary act.
Blackett said: “We have to fix up the discipline side – definitely. We are going to speak to referees this week because there is a perception out there about us. We want to work with referees to improve our discipline or else you are not going to win games. We lost discipline against Gloucester and, as a result, spent too long in the wrong half of the pitch.
“When I speak to the referees I want to know their perceptions. We have tried to sort out the penalties at the breakdown and only conceded one (against Gloucester) when it has been three or four and then we think we have sorted offside and then get three against Gloucester. I want to work with the referees because six weeks ago we were one of the most disciplined teams in the league and this is something that has happened in this spell of games.
“Too many people want to use referees as excuses and that is not what we are about. Tony Spreadbury is very good and we get a report every week and I am going to ring him and try to get a referee into training.
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“Bristol can be devastating and in your 22 the last thing we want to do is give them penalties. Our attack was a big positive and despite the discipline and line out we still put ourselves in a position to win it. “
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept 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.
35 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
35 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
35 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.
35 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. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. 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.
35 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.
35 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.
2 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.
35 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 comments