Wasps v Harlequins: Post Match Thoughts.

[westwaleswasp]

Were they that ruthless today to be fair?Quins blew position after position in the first. Admittedly we blew golden opportunities, but Quins had many moments of pressure where they failed to get opportunities that top teams would have created chances from.
At one point I was going to phone my wife to see if Quins had stolen the Welsh lineout.......

[Steve from Cov]

I thought Porter played very well and is much improved. Jacob was getting some very quick ball in the first half particularly and looked the part too.

I thought Ali Crossdale started very brightly and looked like he was going to have a field day.

Our players ran out of steam second half and are in need of a break.

[WonkyWasp]

Excuse my usual ignorance but could someone explain to the dim (me)  why  9s  so often kick the ball straight up the field into the hands of the opposition and not out to  touch?  Is it to keep the ball in play or is it to avoid the oppo. getting line-outs?  Or something else.  Will Porter has improved a lot this season and looks to have spent a lot of time in the gym. He  seems quite  fearless in tackling. 

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Excuse my usual ignorance but could someone explain to the dim (me)  why {Wasps}  9s  so often kick the ball straight up the field into the hands of the opposition and not out to  touch?  Is it to keep the ball in play or is it to avoid the oppo. getting line-outs?  Or something else.  Will Porter has improved a lot this season and looks to have spent a lot of time in the gym. He  seems quite  fearless in tackling.

I have modified your question to be more accurate.

1. They have little time and nobody to safely pass to.
2. They are outside the 22 and so can't kick directly to touch.
3. They are blindly optimistic about the consequences (hoping for a fumble or knock on). This latter seems the most likely explanation.

A good team will have a well organised kick chase ethos. The ball is kicked the perfect height and distance, towards a sole receiver, who has no support, and three of our players arrive at the same time as he lands. He gets taken down to ground to complete the tackle, is released and one player jackals, while the other two protect the jackaller. However, Wasps do none of this. By way of comparison, all the top teams do.

[Rossm]

I'm just waiting for this to happen:

Wayne Barnes is asked at a line out 'whose ball sir'.

And the answer was 'Ours, Danny'.

[WonkyWasp]

Nelly,  Thank you very much for your clear and concise explanation. even I

[WonkyWasp]

Part ll :   .............  even I understood that.  Many thanks to you. 

[Bloke in North Dorset]

During the match I was thinking Ogrhe’s lineout throws were very good, then he missed one! That said, he has improved his throw immeasurably and it is no longer a liability. 

[NellyWellyWaspy]

During the match I was thinking Ogrhe’s lineout throws were very good, then he missed one! That said, he has improved his throw immeasurably and it is no longer a liability.

His game overall is much improved.

[Rugbyintheblood]

Excuse my usual ignorance but could someone explain to the dim (me)  why {Wasps}  9s  so often kick the ball straight up the field into the hands of the opposition and not out to  touch?  Is it to keep the ball in play or is it to avoid the oppo. getting line-outs?  Or something else.  Will Porter has improved a lot this season and looks to have spent a lot of time in the gym. He  seems quite  fearless in tackling.

I have modified your question to be more accurate.

1. They have little time and nobody to safely pass to.
2. They are outside the 22 and so can't kick directly to touch.
3. They are blindly optimistic about the consequences (hoping for a fumble or knock on). This latter seems the most likely explanation.

A good team will have a well organised kick chase ethos. The ball is kicked the perfect height and distance, towards a sole receiver, who has no support, and three of our players arrive at the same time as he lands. He gets taken down to ground to complete the tackle, is released and one player jackals, while the other two protect the jackaller. However, Wasps do none of this. By way of comparison, all the top teams do.

Back in the day it was primarily a defensive move to relieve pressure. One of my earliest rugby memories was watching the magnificent George Cole playing scrum half for Coventry, hoofing the ball out and over the stand in to Coundon Road! No counter attack from those!

But in the Premiership it’s often used as a way of gaining yards as it’s become a useful attacking tool - but as stated in the post above, only as long as the catcher can be hauled down and the ball turned over. 

Personally I felt Porter had another really good game and I don’t agree with the last comment above. Kicking to Green is always going to be dangerous as he is world class at the counter attack.

[WonkyWasp]

Thanks for the helpful comments  above.  I don't think Wasps are alone in  kicking the ball way down the field tho' as sometimes it's a bit like watching Wimbledon ass others seem equally keen.   Joe Simpson was ace at kicking the ball onto and indeed over the roofing at Adams Park.  Many feared for their cars, I  remember, and on one occasion as we  walked to  our seats the ball came sailing over the roofing and came down about 5 inches in front of the head of a chap in front.  H e was quite unconcerned but had he been 6 inches further forward he would never have seen another Christmas!

[Steve from Cov]

Excuse my usual ignorance but could someone explain to the dim (me)  why {Wasps}  9s  so often kick the ball straight up the field into the hands of the opposition and not out to  touch?  Is it to keep the ball in play or is it to avoid the oppo. getting line-outs?  Or something else.  Will Porter has improved a lot this season and looks to have spent a lot of time in the gym. He  seems quite  fearless in tackling.

I have modified your question to be more accurate.

1. They have little time and nobody to safely pass to.
2. They are outside the 22 and so can't kick directly to touch.
3. They are blindly optimistic about the consequences (hoping for a fumble or knock on). This latter seems the most likely explanation.

A good team will have a well organised kick chase ethos. The ball is kicked the perfect height and distance, towards a sole receiver, who has no support, and three of our players arrive at the same time as he lands. He gets taken down to ground to complete the tackle, is released and one player jackals, while the other two protect the jackaller. However, Wasps do none of this. By way of comparison, all the top teams do.

Back in the day it was primarily a defensive move to relieve pressure. One of my earliest rugby memories was watching the magnificent George Cole playing scrum half for Coventry, hoofing the ball out and over the stand in to Coundon Road! No counter attack from those!

But in the Premiership it’s often used as a way of gaining yards as it’s become a useful attacking tool - but as stated in the post above, only as long as the catcher can be hauled down and the ball turned over. 

Personally I felt Porter had another really good game and I don’t agree with the last comment above. Kicking to Green is always going to be dangerous as he is world class at the counter attack.

George Cole - Coventry legend - was buried today.

[JonnyD]

During the match I was thinking Ogrhe’s lineout throws were very good, then he missed one! That said, he has improved his throw immeasurably and it is no longer a liability.

His game overall is much improved.

Looking back at that throw he missed in the final, he was so raw and inexperienced then, had probably played at 7 as much as he had done at hooker and then had to hit that throw in the heat of the battle before it slipped in his hand. Tough ask.
I think he is going to be a great player

[wasps]

I don't think Oghre has ever been a poor lineout thrower, however, he has certainly struggled under pressure.... Most notably the final.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was still playing on his mind for a while during the season too.


It may be that there's a weakness in his action that can suffer under pressure, but I feel that it's more down to experience.
As he gets more top level experience, he'll learn to handle the pressure better which will result in better decision making and as we're seeing, less problems at the lineout.

Experience and mental preparation can count for a lot

[RogerE]

Kicking the ball long, but not into touch, was a tactic that Wasps introduced back in the Gatland/Edwards days, when we were probably the best conditioned team in the premiership. The idea was to wear the opposition out by making them continually attack from their own half.

In those days Kinga was probably the best exponent at "not finding touch", and received a lot of flack from fans until it was realised it was a coached tactic.