New kids on the block run riot for Wasps

[Heathen]

New kids on the block run riot for Wasps
Wasps 44 Bristol Bears 8
Stephen Jones, Rugby Correspondent
Saturday September 25 2021, 6.00pm, The Sunday Times
Rugby union


Wasps went into their first home game with an injury list full of illustrious players and by the end, you had to say that from the point of view of Bristol Bears, it was a ruddy good job that they were not at strength. On the other hand, you can also say that when they recover, the missing may need another club because to drop any of this bunch would be savage on this evidence.

It was a staggering result, but every point of the monster margin was justified. Wasps played with invention and class and unquenchable fervency, they unveiled all kinds of new players who took to the stage as if they were someone of Sir Ian McKellen’s stature playing Hamlet. Ali Crossdale, the brand new full back, was a sheer delight with his two tries and buccaneering spirit and in the second half, Dan Frost appeared for the first time and the young hooker was composed enough to scamper 45 metres for a try. At the end, the great Jimmy Gopperth took part in the lap of honour with his tiny son. If only they had put the young Gopperth on, he was bound to have scored.

But it was not high jinks from the kids that disposed of Bristol with such thunderous authority. It was the sheer organisation and tenacity of the Wasps’ defence, especially their maul defence against interminable efforts by Bristol to drive over.

And it was the familiar faces that deserved to be beaming the widest. Dan Robson had a sensational game. Not that we needed it, but this was yet another powerful condemnation of England’s scrum-half selectorial bungling over the years, and some of the people they have chosen ahead of Robson have not been fit to lace his boots.

Here, he was not only outstanding at the scrum-half skills, but he gave Andy Uren a nightmarish time around the fringes and he was the dominant figure in the attacking strategy. Good luck to the sparkling Crossdale, who was made man of the match, but that was a charitable act.

And there was also a consistency throughout the whole squad. Brad Shields, who was sent off late in the game after picking up a second yellow card, and Tom Willis were thunderous in the back row, and Jacob Umaga, so talented but sometimes not consistent, played with an ice-cold coolness, as if the Coventry Building Society stadium was a freezer.

Where does this leave Bristol? They have now lost both of their opening games, and they were no doubt shocked out of their stride by the excellence of what on paper did not look a particularly threatening opponent. But they know themselves that there was no excuse for this. They made so many basic errors, and not even Charles Piutau could make any ground. A single try from Max Lahiff and a Callum Sheedy penalty were their only contributions to the scoreboard.

They will be searching for their souls and training all week. The great old club has certain traditions and the current squad has followed them religiously, but there was nothing much that was Bristolian about this.
Shields was sent off for the first time in his career after picking up two yellow cards, the only damp spot on a great day for WaspsShields was sent off for the first time in his career after picking up two yellow cards, the only damp spot on a great day for Wasps
Shields was sent off for the first time in his career after picking up two yellow cards, the only damp spot on a great day for Wasps

The fiesta drew only a relatively small crowd to the stadium, and evidence seems to be growing that some fans are late back to the sport since the end of lockdown. But Wasps were royally supported throughout, the lap of honour was fervent even though probably had difficulty recognising some of their new heroes.
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Crossdale sprinted joyfully across early on after the power of Malakai Fekitoa and that Shields and the dexterity of Umaga had given him running room. Then he scored again after a reverberating Wasps forward drive when they opted for a lineout instead of a penalty. Willis was in the engine room for that and then Crossdale unleashed a glorious in-and-out on poor Ioan Lloyd and scored.

Wasps lost Fekitoa at half-time to a dislocated shoulder, but they simply accelerated. Shields scored after Robson had snaffled the ball from Uren and Willis had taken it on and then it was all over bar a great deal of shouting, when Frost made his way to the line after a furious Wasps counterruck. And Gopperth’s conversion made it 30-8.

Would Wasps declare? No way. To their great credit their defence refused to allow Bristol a further score despite barrage after barrage of attacks and Wasps lifted the mini siege quite gloriously. Will Porter kept up the levels of the youngsters with a tackle that jolted the ball loose, Josh Bassett took the ball on and the powerhouse Willis scored. At the end, when Bristol dithered unforgivably with their morale sapped, Zach Kibirige ran in a try from distance in glorious isolation.

Perhaps after all, Wasps do not depend on their medical staff. This performance was already bursting with good health.

Scorers: Wasps: Tries Crossdale 2 (13min, 35), Shields (44), Frost (66), Willis (78), Kibirige (80). Cons Gopperth 4. Pens Umaga 2 (20, 31). Bristol Bears: Try Lahiff (28). Pen Sheedy (3). H-T 16-8.

Wasps A Crossdale; M Watson (rep: Z Kibirige 72min), M Fekitoa (J Gopperth 41), M le Bourgois, J Bassett; J Umaga, D Robson (W Porter 77); R Hislop (B Harris 61), T Cruse (D Frost 61), J Toomaga-Allen (B Alo 22), V Fifita (T Cardall 71), E Stooke, B Shields (sent off 72), G Oghre (B Morris 61), T Willis

Bristol Bears C Piutau (H Randall 68); N Adeolokun (H Purdy 55), P O’Conor, A Leiua (S Bedlow 39), I Lloyd; C Sheedy, A Uren; Y Thomas (J Woolmore 64), H Thacker (W Capon , M Lahiff (J Armstrong 64), D Attwood (E Holmes 68), C Vui, S Luatua, D Thomas, N Hughes (J Heenan 64)

Referee K Dickson