Alfie Barbeary brushes off international frustration to bring Wasps to victory
Wasps 41 Bath 24
Gary Fitzgerald Sunday February 13 2022, 12.01am, The Sunday Times
Alfie Barbeary had to make do with a bench performance in Coventry rather than a glamourous dream chance to play in Rome after missing out with England again. Yet, the young forward shrugged off his latest international frustration to cross for two late tries in Wasps’ bonus-point victory over Premiership basement side Bath.
And Wasps head coach Lee Blackett insists his exciting 21-year-old forward, who also failed to make the squad for Scotland last weekend, just needs to remain patient a little longer before Eddie Jones names him in his Six Nations match day 23 rather than sends him back to his club.
Barbeary leapt off the bench after just five minutes for the injured Brad Shields to put the seal on a third successive league win for the hosts who came from seven points behind to beat Bath with four tries in 12 minutes at the end.
Bath played most of the second half with 14 men following England wing Semesa Rokoduguni’s sending off.
Blackett insisted: “It’s about working hard for Alf, and not getting frustrated when he is not picked, coming back here and taking his opportunity. People don’t realise how difficult it is going to an England camp for two or three days but then rocking back here and playing for Wasps. We stuck him on the bench and I was pleased with how he went.
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“He’s a quality player and will get his chance whether it is this camp or the next one. One thing I know is that guy definitely has the ability to play international rugby, that’s for sure.”
Wasps led early after Bath hooker Jacques du Toit’s line-out throw just a few yards from his own line failed to hit his target and, after Morris was dragged down short of the line, the ball was swept out wide left to Josh Bassett. The wing was tackled as he cut inside but his back of the hand pass sent Rob Miller over in the corner unchallenged.
The hosts suffered a setback with No 8 Shields, who had to leave the field with what appeared a rib injury. The forward was in some pain on the ground before he was led off and replaced by Barbeary.
Full-back Tom Prydie responded with a try in the left hand corner after the visitors worked the ball across field from a line-out and Max Ojomoh fed his partner to saunter over untouched. The fast flowing end to end entertainment continued with powerfully built Wasps prop Biyi Alo bulldozing his way across for a try from a driving maul, aided more than a little by Joe Launchbury. Jimmy Gopperth converted but the visitors were certainly geared up for the fight.
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The impressive Ojomoh weaved his way through a gap in the hosts’ defence and slipped a short pass to the supporting Taulupe Faletau to stroll over with Orlando Bailey’s conversion nudging Bath ahead. However, their defence was as generous as their attack clinical, and Wasps were back ahead by the break courtesy of an Elliott Stooke try in the left corner from Ben Morris’s pass.
Bath suffered what appeared to be a major blow within seconds of the restart with the dismissal of Rokoduguni who went into the tackle on Sam Spink upright and hit the Wasps man with his shoulder to the face. Referee Anthony Woodthorpe had little option but to show him a red card.
However, the West Country side regrouped and refused to let the problem of being a man down affect them. Indeed, they replied in style as Nathan Hughes galloped down the left flank and his outstanding kick ahead with the outside of the right boot allowed Ben Spencer to race for the ball and pounce on it for a try. Bailey converted and succeeded with an outstanding long-range penalty in the blustery wind to increase the lead to seven points.
But Wasps managed to galvanise themselves for a crucial final onslaught with three tries inside five minutes with wing Paolo Odogwu crossing twice and then Barbeary doing the same, the first with an acrobatic dive and the second a forwards surge across.
Bath coach Neal Hatley conceded: “The red card was pivotal as we were playing very well then while the yellow one proved too much for us with just 13 men. But we had responded so well after losing Semesa and were right in the contest until the final ten minutes or so.”
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