Saints v Wasps: Post Match thoughts.

[Wombles]

1: How do you solve a problem like Wasps?

2: Intensity and Speed of thought & deed should not wait until the final two minutes.

3: We are wonderfully consistantly inconsistant.

Well done Saints, with the mental block of trying to get in the top 4 gone, they played a much more physical and accurate game, and Sleightmolme was phenominal (Bassett will have been given a good heads up today that he needs to get better, and faster). Saints deserve the win.

But our boys were not at the races mentally or physically today. Our young talent are learning, and there is no hiding place in professional rugby. Umagas mistake after young Atkinson commited the cardinal sin of looking up before picking up was poor. Ohgre needs to learn when to give the ball to the 9 in the maul. It cost field position, points and cards.

However our lads looked like they were treading water today, and once more I could see no sort of style or plan. I have concerns over our S&C team, and this is an ongoing concern. I have concerns over our thinking and also our decision making. We fatigued far far to quickly today, and with that came mental fatigue and decision fatigue. Also we should not wait until the last 2 minutes to show some hustle and speed. We escaped with a point, but we now need to win against Irish and Tigers to qualify for Europe, and we (the fans) are going to be needed more than evere, because it is clear the team are struggling to get emotionally in the right place at the moment. But after today I am far from convinced we have enough in this team this season. I just hope I am wrong.

Oh, and a word about Graham Hughes. I am afraid it is time for him to hang up the remote control. We had a young referee today who needed support from his senior colleagues. What he got was a TMO out of his depth and rapidly running out of time. Referees are under scrutiny like never before, and unless we get the right people in then we could end up in a position where respect will get to a level of that of our roundball cousins.

We're in the top 8, but if we stay in it will be because other teams play worse than us....This summer is going to be big for Lee and co nomatter what European tournament we are in.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

We have said this so many times before, but we were not a team. But, I saw glimmers of improvement. As Austin said, we should have kicked for that last penalty rather than go to the lineout.

Individual decisions are poor, such as when Robson took a quick tap with no prospect of gaining as much as a kick by Umaga to touch would have done. My stated rules are no quick taps unless you are in their red zone. It is simply too hard to keep momentum so far out.

Shields is shaping up nicely to keep the captaincy IMHO.

The maul from lineout should have been canned early on, as it was clear that Saints had us pegged at that.

We simply had no weight in the backs, so trying to run through them was never going to work. Rather than ship it to the wing, we should have run for phases stretching them until the gaps opened.

Kibirige simply was not running or moving well. I saw him limping on more than one occasion. I do not think he is fully fit, and hasn't been since that Sale incident.

We are getting there, ever so slowly. We played far better than we were playing a month or so back. We at least acknowledged that we do not have any jackalers, so we stopped giving penalties for trying that. For me, Oghre has some way to go, but Cruse seems off his game also.

I was OK with Charlie at FB. He made a few errors, but he did good.

[Wombles]

Agree with young Atkinson, and actually all of our young players Nelly, they need time and will make mistakes. Umaga is having a classic second season syndrome. I did not notice Kibirige limping, but that does explain alot if we are holding him together with tape and painkillers.

It is interesting this year that without jacklers our game falls apart. However we should not put all our eggs in one basket (Jack), the others need to stand up and be counted, and with two games to go they have not at all.

I really do not want to keep mentioning injuries because it is a constant bedfellow, what I will mention is that we need to learn to be better despite them.

The off season has to be working on a plan that balances power and pace, we have been there before so know it is achievable.

[Garuda]

 I can't fault the commitment of everybody on the field today. Some good individual moments. But we are desperately missing a number of players and with folk filling in at unfamiliar positions we are somewhat disjointed and it shows. Northampton were simply better than us and we did well to keep the scoreline as tight as it was.

And I can't sign off without giving a special shoutout to Graham Hughes who had another stunning performance as TMO.

[MarleyWasp]

Considering, had it not been for Covid, Charlie would have been doing his A Levels a year ago and isn't a Full Back, I was really impressed with him today. He looked much more comfortable at 15. I've seen people talk about him as a 12, but for me, if Jacob has the magic of Cipriani, Charlie is the next Alex King.

I thought Oghre's lineouts have really improved. I only recall one dodgy through which we still won. Great play as well in the build up to Kibirige's non-try.

[Heathen]

The result of next weeks game will put the winner in a reasonable position for top 8 finish.

Sadly, the way that we are playing, I fear that it will not be Wasps.

[Shugs]

Thought we were generally ok today. We've got to cut out the penalties as they are costing us endless field position. We're just a bit inaccurate when it really matters. Speed of thought of some is not matched by others. For me Umaga, Oghre and Le Bourgeois are far too loose. Kibirige is severely off the pace - possibly injured. On the plus side West, Shields, Willis, Young, Robson and Bassett were excellent.We've got an excellent core to work around - we just need 10% extra from the rest. TMO was abysmal and predictably so unfortunately.

[Beasties]

I keep on saying this but Wasps are by a mile the worst mauling team in the league, whether attacking or defending. We have been for years but my God that was a masterclass in ineptitude today. Oghre's throwing wasn't at fault today but he does look hapless at the back of our maul. Not his fault really as the other 7 aren't setting it up properly or dealing with the scallywags trying to disrupt us. I homestly don't know what they do all day when it comes to maul practice.

And things would look a whole lot worse at the moment without Robson's form and bright play.

[mike909]

I have no problems with losing games on a decently even playing field. We've had some really bad flicks of the coin on decisions this season and whilst we've often been rather loose, that's not a surprise as we move on and have had so many injuries and young players needing to move on.

But games like today just stick in the craw. Whilst we were often out powered, we did have the speed of thought and action to ensure that their power was moved around and made to struggle. But when the deciding factor within the game as a whole was the officiating - such that a Tigers vet thought we were hard done by - then you think why on earth bother with spending all that money on the TMO etc.

This game - apart from those two issues that probably decided the result - it seemed to not matter about offside, the maul laws and yet again it seemed to look as if law 15.11 doesn't exist.....(ruck - no hands unless you go there BEFORE the ruck formed)

Deep breath and a large glass of wine.......

[backdoc]

I keep on saying this but Wasps are by a mile the worst mauling team in the league, whether attacking or defending. We have been for years but my God that was a masterclass in ineptitude today. Oghre's throwing wasn't at fault today but he does look hapless at the back of our maul. Not his fault really as the other 7 aren't setting it up properly or dealing with the scallywags trying to disrupt us. I homestly don't know what they do all day when it comes to maul practice.

And things would look a whole lot worse at the moment without Robson's form and bright play.

Absolutely. Robson sparks much of what is good about our play, and this keeps us in the game, even if we tend to lose the close ones.

[Shugs]

I have no problems with losing games on a decently even playing field. We've had some really bad flicks of the coin on decisions this season and whilst we've often been rather loose, that's not a surprise as we move on and have had so many injuries and young players needing to move on.

But games like today just stick in the craw. Whilst we were often out powered, we did have the speed of thought and action to ensure that their power was moved around and made to struggle. But when the deciding factor within the game as a whole was the officiating - such that a Tigers vet thought we were hard done by - then you think why on earth bother with spending all that money on the TMO etc.

This game - apart from those two issues that probably decided the result - it seemed to not matter about offside, the maul laws and yet again it seemed to look as if law 15.11 doesn't exist.....(ruck - no hands unless you go there BEFORE the ruck formed)

Deep breath and a large glass of wine.......

Agree Mike. Inconsistency is frustrating. To be honest we were offside a few times today that just got missed as were they. But it's small things that as you say "stick in the craw". Earlier in the season we lose a game when Odogwu puts hands on the ground in the ruck. Lawes does it today and wins the turnover. It is obviously the case that you'll win a few and lose a few of these but we've definitely lost more than we've won this season.

[hookender]

Having got in from match thought I’d read all the comments and before giving my own take on the day.

 Whilst certain things I could see and agree and relate to, being there and not hearing commentary/ ref/ tmo , actually made for a much better match . Was the ref influenced by the crowd after so long without one? Yep. Did we make loads of mistakes in terms of knock ons/ penalties etc undoubtedly, but being there  you could feel the intent and effort.  Was I annoyed that we lost ? Of course, but I felt that we weren’t  far off the mark.

 From the comments made it doesn’t seem that anything was made of the off the ball fracas where it looked like Umaga was punched ( from my angle ) whilst  on the floor . Ball was moving fast and away from incident  but I thought TMO (fat chance) or commentary would have picked up on it.

[westwaleswasp]

Three thoughts

1  Hughes is a disgrace. Simple repeated incompetence in matches involving Wasps or not.

2 For all the defence of recruitment, our issue is the wrong tight head is leaving, recruiting one tight head to replace another is not a good plan when it leaves us with a  JTA who is not up to scratch as a scrummager. The turn around when he came on against a front row we have had on toast for the last few years was worrying. Defend his play in the loose as much as you like, if he starts for Wasps next year we will have a poor scrum to match our maul.

3 Our maul needs to be better, full stop.



3

[Brandnewtorugby]

"From the comments made it doesn’t seem that anything was made of the off the ball fracas where it looked like Umaga was punched ( from my angle ) whilst  on the floor . Ball was moving fast and away from incident  but I thought TMO (fat chance) or commentary would have picked up on it."

Can you remember when it was in the game? There was a moment (edit - it was around the 22, thought first half but now not sure after scanning the replay) where he seemed to be struggling with someone off the ball and a brief mention from the commentary, but the game moved on.

[Neils]

Reading on Twatter that there may also have been a potential eye contact with Josh again the recipient.