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'We were the best team on the field': Wasps boss Blackett gutted by dramatic defeat
Wasps boss Lee Blackett admitted to a gutting experience after seeing his team’s Heineken Champions Cup hopes ended in dramatic fashion by Clermont Auvergne. French heavyweights Clermont floored Wasps with the final play of a pulsating clash to win 27-25 at the Ricoh Arena.
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Clermont captain Camille Lopez converted full-back Kotaro Matsushima’s try with the game’s last kick and Wasps’ hopes of reaching the quarter-finals were over. Wasps saw three tries ruled out as they suffered only a second European Cup home defeat against French opposition since 2001.
“As you can imagine, the way we lost, there are a lot of gutted guys in the changing room,” Wasps head coach Blackett said. “Sometimes in defeats, you can find positives. I thought we played well and I thought we were the best team on the field.
“I felt comfortable throughout and it’s gutting we didn’t get over the line. A lot comes down to confidence. Our last three defeats have been by one point (twice) and two points today, and we need to make sure we see those games out. I am going away today thinking it was back to our best, or close to our best.
“We will take the positives from that but we are out of the competition. I would like to think that today will propel us forward. It is a little bit frustrating, having three tries disallowed, but when things are not going your way, they are not going your way. We put ourselves in a position to win that game.”
Heartbreak for Wasps as Clermont win it with the clock three minutes into the red!
Kotaro Matsushima with the cold-blooded finish, Camille Lopez nails the extras ??
What an incredible end of a great game!#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/tl0AO9oeuB
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 3, 2021
Up until the crushing finale for Wasps, it had been the Paolo Odogwu show. He delivered an emphatic reminder of his ability to watching England boss Eddie Jones, scoring a try after just five minutes and narrowly missing out on a second one just before half-time.
On his first start since January 8 after being selected for England’s Guinness Six Nations squad, but not playing a minute of the campaign, Odogwu was outstanding. Odogwu’s fellow wing Josh Bassett also touched down, as did prop Ben Harris, while fly-half Jacob Umaga kicked two penalties and two conversions.
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Scrum-half Sebastien Bezy and prop Peni Ravai scored Clermont’s tries before Matsushima struck, with Lopez booting 10 points and Tim Nanai-Williams converting Bezy’s touchdown. Wasps back-rower Brad Shields added: “It’s one of the toughest ones to take. On the bright side, we played a lot better and we are a lot closer to that team we want to be week in, week out.
“We are pretty disappointed not to get over the line. We will stay tight and keep our heads high. It is pretty gutting in the changing room, to say the least. There was a bit of silence as we regathered our thoughts.”
Here's is how Lee Blackett's XV rated as they went from heroes to zeroes in an agonising finish at the Ricoh #WASvASM #HeinekenChampionsCuphttps://t.co/kjZDeuNUtb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 3, 2021
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