It was not as exciting as that Exeter game last year, but the crowd noise was immense! I think that there were more Tigers fans than Waspies though. Watching the Exeter game with beer in hand (thank you for that really nice pint of Purity) in the East stand concourse, the cheer that went up at the end from us all!
I do think Exeter were at their best. We were not in terms of the way most coaches would measure a team. But, We are Wasps. We don't do normal. And sometimes it scares us. There was a whole 20 minutes or so when we saw the ball for seconds before giving it (and points) away. The look on Ashley's face when he first made 'that pass' that led to the try, and then knocked on in attack. Anguish. But the boys rallied round him, picked him up, dusted him off, and got him going again. This is OUR WAY.
I saw Cips make a few insane full on tackles, I saw the Nathan ball in one hand dashes (and the inevitable knock, but only once - he was SO on form yesterday). Just over 29000 actual attendance. Joe rightly MOTM. He was everywhere tackling, running through with ball, passing, in the lineout.
Tigers threw the proverbial kitchen sink at us to 'Get one for Tom'.
And when Bassett came on, he just kept running at them, doing everything he could to get a try. It was taking a fair few defenders to get him down most times, and he still made the ball available.
Sure it could have been prettier text book rugby, but then we don't do that, do we?
Got my tickets on the halfway line for the final. My daughter rang her supervisor straight after the game and pleaded for next week off (I had already got her a ticket anyway), and her supervisor has relented, she is coming with us!
Booked coach seats for all four of us from the Ricoh. Win or lose, this is going to be a day to remember.
Let's hope that Dai's 'They'll both be fit for the game' reply in interview is right. What a send off that would be for Kurtley to make him want to come back. The look on his face at pitchside when Josh scored that try. THAT is a guy committed to the team. WLR ran his socks off yesterday, even with tanks empty he still pushed on.