Wasps v Tigers: Post Match Thoughts

[Wombles]

Get. In. There!

Get out of jail card used

Alfie immense.

With all the noise about two all blacks leaving the club this weekend, I think we all forgot about a player that you can build you team around. And that is Alfie. Immense is a understated word, but that turn over with 4 minutes to go...and his reaction with the team when we got it told me all we needed to know. You want a winning team, you need players like Alfie at its core!

My goodness though, we do like to make things hard for ourselves. 6 pens against us in the first 20 minutes, 4 scrum pens in a row on our 5 metre line in the last 10, Tigers winning the 2 yellow card period 0-6. A first 40 lacking in intensity or accuracy. Tigers were undercooked today, but full credit to the boys for that second forty and got the W. With all the things going against us in terms of injuries, and the slightly sweet taste of stopping Tigers winning run, what could be the biggest reward of all is this could be the turning point in our fortunes. It happened against Leinster in the 14/15 season in the HC. Is this the springboard we need?

What a effort boys!

Chris

Once a Wasp ALWAYS a Wasp!

Rugby by birth. Wasps by the grace of God!

[Rossm]

That's a game I want to watch again but only the second half

[hopwood]

Thank you to all the fans in the stadium today.
You made the difference when it counted.

What a win.

[welsh wasp]

Wow!!!
I think I preferred the second half to the first. What a commitment and effort by all of the players. Not just Barbery - he was his usual self.

[Westy68]

Barbeary his truly top class, liking Frost more and more, Hougaard played well today.

Brad is immense and Gaskell made a difference.

First half was awful, fight in the 2nd half was excellent. I’m not going to talk about the negatives, that fight in the 2nd doesn’t deserve that

[HDAWG]

From my point of view the style of attack changed, as in we didn't just kick possession away. We attacked direct and with a bit more fluidity. Gave them less possession and us more opportunities. Also used Atkinson better in second half.

Hougaard for me was motm. Dude was class in attack and defence.

[Covkid40]

I travelled to Sale on New Year’s Day and suffered that and the first 40 wasn’t much better I sat there at half time and just couldn’t see how we where going to change it and then! 23 warriors in yellow and black stood up and were counted players battled and scrapped for every ball, bodies were put on the line and they got what they deserved.

[Wombles]

Shields was phenominal...and he and Launchers as leaders holds us in such good stead. Stooke has been fantastic. Hougaard was MOTM for me. Young Charlie looks like he will be pushing Jacob very hard (and that is only good for them and us). Frost is a great find. We need our injured forwards back though to really push forward.

We are missing confidence in our attacking game...but the moment we ran straight, fast and hard the momentum swung. As bad as that first 40 was, the second corrected it...and hopefully has created confidence we can carry forward and push for top 6.

[hopwood]

I travelled to Sale on New Year’s Day and suffered that and the first 40 wasn’t much better I sat there at half time and just couldn’t see how we where going to change it and then! 23 warriors in yellow and black stood up and were counted players battled and scrapped for every ball, bodies were put on the line and they got what they deserved.

Good on you.
Glad you got to see the real heart of Wasps.
It’s always been there, but maybe you got to properly experience it today.

[mike909]

Brilliant - our Sec Half facilitated by a number of factors. There must have been a decision at HT to play not just survive. And the leadership brought to the team by Frost coming on and ditto Gaskell. Brad was immense. We allowed Crossdale to keep on playing and make mistakes and that will be to our benefit looking forwards. Alo is looking better and better and looking to provide some leadership and advice.

That we got the result will be big for the squad - you could see that from the recovering players in the stand.

[Steve from Cov]

Excellent - wow.

[BarossaD]

23 warriors in yellow and black stood up and were counted players battled and scrapped for every ball, bodies were put on the line and they got what they deserved.

It looked like it after the whistle went too - bodies all over the place! Great commitment at the death

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Well, who'd have thunk that would happen in the second half? Some team talk. Lee looked like he had turned into a kangaroo as he bounced up and down at the final whistle.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

23 warriors in yellow and black stood up and were counted players battled and scrapped for every ball, bodies were put on the line and they got what they deserved.

It looked like it after the whistle went too - bodies all over the place! Great commitment at the death

Shields looked like someone had hit him with a truck.

[Wombles]

Well, who'd have thunk that would happen in the second half? Some team talk. Lee looked like he had turned into a kangaroo as he bounced up and down at the final whistle.

I dont think even the most optimistic of us saw that coming....and even more so after the first 40 Nelly! Lee's reaction and the boys being out on their feet told me the most....that this is a group that can ride out hardest of times and come out the other stronger.