Newcastle V Wasps: Post match thoughts.

[Wombles]

To borrow a old football adage (that also makes me hark back to ITV Saint and Greavsie)...

A game of 2 halves.

One forty where our discipline and accuracy was once more found wanting, followed by a half of ferocity that warmed the forward loving half of my black and gold heart.

Let’s start with the Argentine elephant in the room. I honestly thought one of the most despicable acts a player can do to another on the field of play was consigned to the annals of history...tonight proved otherwise. It was deplorable, and Richards frankly incoherent and immature response during the interview has lowered my respect for him. Rather than sounding like you’ve got the master key to the clubhouse bar, be adult, stand up for what is right! And that is calling out Abhorrent acts and condemning them even if it is one of your own. “Judge a man not by how he wins, but by how he loses” one week Gopps demonstrates how to behave, then 7 days later Newks winger and the DOR perform the exact opposite. A long ban is deserved.

But to the game:

One of the hardest things in rugby is getting a win when you are losing. It can be like trying to turn a tankers in a force 12 gale on one engine. The effort it takes to swing that momentum, gain an edge and cross the finishing line ahead can be monstrous. The lads achieved this in a 40 minute performance, however although we have turned the bow it is up to us to ensure the wind is in our favour and smooth sailing lays ahead. Complacency and lack of taking on board hard lessons of how we got into troubled waters should not be forgotten less we end up running towards the shoals once more. Yet with Lee at the helm, Launchers back, a rampaging Alfie (no ring rust on our boy!) and a combative Ogre things look better.. but hard work lies ahead, especially if we want a tilt at Europe and top 6.

But for tonight, let’s enjoy the win!

Chris

Once a Wasp ALWAYS a Wasp.

[Shugs]

Agree with all of that Wombles. Barbeary and Launch will get the headlines but I thought the transformation West bought to the scrum changed things. Also, Shields and Young were great. I can't believe I'm watching a deliberate eye gouge again. I don't really have the words to describe how much contempt I have for that - and for Richards' embarrassing reaction to it - inevitable though it was. Overriding emotion is relief - thought we were never going to nose in front! But we've won, we've got some players back and we didn't even concede many penalties second half!

[MarleyWasp]

I know Dean Richards is an England legend, but I don't really know how anyone can respect him after Bloodgate.

A good press officer would have said to him it looks bad, acknowledge there's something that warrants further investigation tomorrow, and apologise to Josh Bassett. A bad press officer let's that shambles happen.

[Horusthewasp]

I know Dean Richards is an England legend, but I don't really know how anyone can respect him after Bloodgate.

+1

[Brandnewtorugby]

I must have been charging my glass, what did Dean say about the eye gouge?

[MarleyWasp]

Said he hadn't seen it, was shown a video and laughed it off.

[Horusthewasp]

I must have been charging my glass, what did Dean say about the eye gouge?

"I haven't seen it, I'll have a look at it later. I know a few people are making a big deal about it but I haven't seen it so I'll have a look later."

Then when Sarra Elgan showed him the replay live during the post game interview he again claimed he couldn’t see it and seemed to smirk as he brushed off the line of questioning.

He could of very simply said that he hadn’t seen the incident but that he would never condone such behaviour - that way he wouldn’t publicly acknowledge the incident but still show that he is a DOR with integrity ... then again this is Dean Richards we are talking about.

[Shugs]

He was never going to call out his own player on live TV. But I sincerely hope he's full of contempt for what his player has done - whether he overtly ever says so or not.

[Horusthewasp]

I agree Shugs but to repeat the same nonsense after watching a close up replay on the live TV is embarrassing and a poor reflection on him. As I said he could of at least given a hypothetical response or made a general statement emphasising the importance of player welfare. As a DOR you are expected to show integrity particularly when it comes to indisputable matters. Do you think Baxter would of acted the same?

[mike909]

Just on the result - I think the game and outcome does support (imo) the view that we were needing some more troops available to boost a pretty knackered squad. That we've been having to borrow players suggested to me that we were playing on empty too much of the time.

Last night we had the psychological boost of having Launch back and Alfie and others to come on and whilst we couldn't/didn't get into the game in the first half - once we got a hand hold - we were looking like ourselves again. It also demonstrates, that pro sport is of small margins and often sheer luck. Even with the luck and seemingly the officiating not exactly in our favour - we found a way to get over the line.

I am worries by the propping injuries - JTA put in another big stint - but I'm hoping its more to do with playing on a damn plastic pitch than anything serious and we need Brookes back.

An at times incoherent officiating performance ought to prompt the reffing authorities to have a hard look at how this ref (especially) and officials team operate. Gouging aside, and whilst admitting that I have spent too long reading the Laws - the ref was just plain wrong too often. I realise rugby is a dynamic game - but basics like tackled players holding on need to be penalised, ditto "holding on" if we're to get fast play benefited. And basics like not listening to line/TMO gives players little confidence in what is a game where you are putting your safety at risk

As for the gouging - no defence, deliberate and ought to get a long ban and be sacked.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

I got a bit frustrated with them getting white line fever and keeping the ball in the forwards for so long. We aren't as good as Chief's in that area, who is?, and I don't want us to be if that means sacrificing some of the flair that Wasps are renowned for. I appreciate there's a danger in passing the ball out but there's always a danger of a knock on or penalty for sealing when they're playing pick and go.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

The really BIG risk with moving the ball out is a player makes a break for the line and gets tackled, without support from rucking forwards, and you get turned over. Our coaches need to think of a way to train the backs on how to decide who is getting the ball and get into the ruck formation and support. However, it does leave you wide open to a counter, such as the one Fekitoa and Kibirige botched.

In fairness, it was absolutely pouring it down with rain, and, on a plastic pitch, that would not have been much fun.

[InBetweenWasp]

Said he hadn't seen it, was shown a video and laughed it off.

I think that’s a bit unfair on Deano.  He didn’t laugh it off, he just said I haven’t seen it and I can’t really see it on your screen and chose to dodge the questions.

It was pretty lazy journalism - I’m not sure what answer they were expecting especially without having likely heard Carrera’s version of events.

The outcome is a big story, as gouging is unacceptable.  But I think the bigger story is that with an official having been told by a player that they’ve had contact made with the eye and have sought treatment for it, nobody bothered to look or double check - i.e. When a player, politely and calmly, explains to an Official that something well outside the Laws of game has potentially happened they chose to do nothing.

If I was Josh, or Launchbury I would absolutely of had a word with the Ref to explain that whilst it’s his prerogative whether to look at the incident or not, especially one as potentially serious, if the Officials opt not to afford the players a degree of protection from incidents of potential serious foul-play like this that if it happens again that he’ll instruct the team to take matters into their own hands as it’s not acceptable not to have that degree of protection and I’d have done so whilst asking Jimmy to wait to take the conversion until the conversation could be had.

Whilst this risks an increased number of players appealing to the Ref, this isn’t over a disputed knock-on or something trivial.

If anything, Josh was too calm and good for him for not losing his rag and risking a Yellow, or a Red for retaliation. 

We’ve spoken before about these retrospective Reds - It continues to be daft - irrespective of the result - that the team whom the offence is committed against gets no advantage and the team committing the offence doesn’t get penalised appropriately in the game in which the offence happens. 

Perhaps something like a point deducted from the offending team in the event of a retrospective Red card not given during a game or a point awarded to the team who had an offence committed against them.

[Chunky24]

While not right Might have done us a favour, while we have often been poor against 15 we have also been worse against 14 and 13, avoided that extra resolution a team gets playing a man down and motivated us as a wronged team.

[wasps]

Ultimately it worked out ok.
We'll get more of a boost from beating 15 men than we would have done beating 14.

However as with foul play, the outcome of the poor decisions should not affect the punishment.

I've made comments before about not blaming referees, and I'm really not bothered about any of his other game decisions, but serious foul play like this should not have been ignored just because Josh ultimately was ok and wasn't blinded.

The referee performance should absolutely be under scrutiny for how that situation played out