Morning All

[coddy]

Good morning from a wet and dark North Oxfordshire.

I've just eaten a mackerel breakfast and soon heading off to work and then rushing home for the game.

A strong looking Wasps side I think should win this game tonight especially if they keep the penalty count no higher than their opponents

COYW

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Morning Coddy. Wet and miserable here in South Warwickshire, but the forecast is for the rain to stop early afternoon at the Ricoh, and for a fresh breeze during the game. Hoping we can win this one.

[Wombles]

A very good morning Coddy, NWW and to all Waspies from a wet and rainy Guildford! This compressed season has led to a wonderful site of midweek matches not seen since the 1980s, and i must admit i am glad to see its return. It may not last beyond the exceptional circumstances that gave it rebirth, however it may be the catalyst to future midweek games in seasons to come. If the lads in the amateur era managed to get together in time for kick off after putting in a days work in the mines/office/surgery/factory getting 2 teams to play a Tuesday/Wednesday night fixture regularly would not only be achievable, but would give supporters something to look forward to and more TV exposure to generate much needed income. Whether it happens of course is another matter. But once more on a working day i get to rise looking forward to a tough league encounter and put on my wasps boxers and socks under my scrubs before rushing home to see our lads take on the sharks.

Lee and his coaches have navigated the opening 2 rounds with aplomp! 2 wins and 10 points in the bag is no mean achievement. They selected 2 squads to do a job and to a man they did it exceptionally well. Sale on the other hand have taken 2 losses and put put arguably some of their strongest selections for those games. With the PRL edict on minutes players can play consecutively Diamond and co now have to chop and change whilst maintaining a threat and a strong hope of victory to get their season back up and running once more. This is a top 4 contest and will thus see blood and thunder from the off! Given the teams selections and form we have the edge, but no team led by Diamond goes quietly into the night, and for us to emerge victorious we must not only best their starting XV (who have some talented and senior players within) but also effectively nullify the impact of their strong bench. It can be done, but it will not be easy. However we are a team enjoying our rugby, trusting and supportive in one another, and as last week showed, patient when under pressure and behind on the scoreboard, knowing we can compete for the 80 and get a win!

I cannot wait for this game...i apologise already to my last patients and med student this afternoon as very little talk will be about ailments but all about the hallowed sport of egg chasing!

Come on you Wasps!!! 

Chris

Once a Wasp ALWAYS a Wasp! 

[Neils]

Morning all. Lovely weather here - not! For the first time in a long time it is wet weather gear for the dog walk. Hope it clears for the game.

Strong team against what looks like a secondish string but you never know with Dimes - this lot may operate better than his stellar names and Tuilagi. Hopefull though.

COYW.

[backdoc]

Morning from the sud-ouest France. Beautiful red sky this morning, and forecast 33º by afternoon.
Glorious view over the Garonne from my library.
The local rose has gone up from 3.50 to 4.35 euros so they must be feeling the pinch.
VPN gets me BT Sport so I just have to get the time right.

Wasps need to play their game and they should be fine. Get far enough ahead so the Sale bench don't come into it.

[Dgwasp]

Morning all from deepest darkest Warwickshire.   I've got this afternoon off work and tempted to try and fashion some sort of roof onto the Ricoh.

I'm hopeful for this evening, although think we will have to work had for it as the Sale team still looks fairly strong and having lost their first two games since restart Dimes will be putting the pressure on for a performance.

Hopefully we can play with the intensity of the Northampton game.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Morning all.

I can report the weather no better here in North Dorset. We've been discussing when we wear foulies on a sailing forum I use, today isn't one of them, its one for hunkering down with a good book.

Really looking forward to this game, Sale games have a special place in my heart. One of my best mates and former business partners was a Sale STH and when we lived in High Wycombe he would come to us for our home games and I'd go to him for the away fixture. I was there for the infamous "pizza" match that wasn't and took quite some stick in one of their local pubs (a real dive, but great beer and atmosphere).

One of our home games was so dreadful, lots of aimless kicking from both sides, we sat at the back of the stand moaning like the couple of old codgers from the Muppet Show.

My guess is a lot of early attritional rugby with both sides focusing on defence and not giving an inch, but like a lot of those games it will open up in the 2nd half as the defences tire. Our squad management to date should give us the edge in the end, as long as we don't get sucked in to matching them on penalties and start losing players to the sin bin.

Really looking forward to it and dare I say the following match as I'm just enjoying watching rugby, I didn't think I'd miss it this much.

[Steve from Cov]

Morning all,
Coventry is very wet!
COYW.

[Rossm]

Good morning all from a very wet Hastings. It's currently lashing down here but should clear by the afternoon. We are having an irrigation system for the garden being installed. Seemed like a good idea when we were in the thirties not so long ago. Now we are half that and it doesn't look like it can be tested at the moment

[Shugs]

Morning all. Think tonight may be a tricky one. The media have focussed on Sale's losses but one was against relentless Exeter. I think we're fresher and I think we have better players (even with squads at full strength) so I'm hoping that will carry us through but I think it will be tight. Weather is forecast to improve which will help.

[Raggs]

Morning all.

Never full of confidence against Sale. We definitely have some advantages over them though, so hopeful for a win.

[Heathen]

A belated morning all (et bonjour Backdoc).

I would hope that we can continue in the same vein that has seen us garner maimum points from our last 5 games. The team that Sale have selected will be no pushover. We have to get our game spot on. Faf on their bench could be their catalyst to cause us problems.
If we do win, then we will still, at least, be in the Top 3 with a buffer. As others have said, we have some heavyweight games - some consecutive - coming up, which will represent a tough challenge to the squad.

I am still hopeful of a top 4 finish. I would like to think that we have that before Exeter roll up at the Ricoh.

Latest weather forecast suggests that there will be light rain with a gusty wind.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

It has been sunny, then cloudy, then a bit of drizzle for the last two hours here (not too far south of the Ricoh, but generally getting sunnier and more windy). I suspect it will be fine for the game.

[westwaleswasp]

Afternoon all, and wow, Storm Francis is here for sure. Any more of this and west Wales will take off and land on Essex.
Stay safe!

[Neils]

Afternoon all, and wow, Storm Francis is here for sure. Any more of this and west Wales will take off and land on Essex.
Stay safe!

Please no!