Morning All

[Heathen]

Bonjour from very frosty NW France. Hope that none of you suffered any structural damage yesterday.

Today at the Stoop could be a fascinating encounter between two sides looking to secure a top 4 spot.

Safe travels to all attending.

COYW

[Wombles]

Morning Heathen and all Wasps from a wind swept Guildford. As usual I am up with the lark, although where he is at present after yesterday’s storm is anyone’s guess. However a mornings walk in the Surrey hills and see what Eunice has been up to, followed by fresh hot coffee -why anyone has those ice cold ones is beyond me- at a lovely countryside cafe awaits. It may be the calm after the storm, but I am certain we are up for some powerful blows as both sides of Hampstead come together once more. Despite it being 152 years since ourselves and Harlequins divided from one club to the two we see today, we are still only a place and a point apart. You never really move to far away from family though.

Returning players are today’s theme. Quins have some much needed forward firepower returning. We are slightly further down the line with our returnees, but of all those coming back into the match day fold it is a certain Jack Willis that made us all sit up. Lee said he would be back in a month in the week, and I must admit to a chuckle that he was as true as is word, just more rapid than we all cared to think. How many of us went, ‘in a month? oh that’s four weeks then’. I know I did. Jack will need time to bed in again, a year out will mean a fair few rounds to get that sharpness of mind and the strength in the legs. It will come though. I am not concerned he has returned too early, he and Wasps would only have allowed his place in the Match day team when all parties were convinced he was fully ready.

This game however is going to be banjo string tight, we have been pulling wins out of the fire and will need to exert more control over the 80. Quins are the masters of returning from the dead as well and stepping up from the canvas when everyone thought the knockout blow had been delivered (another shared trait from our Hampstead days?). Yet with top 4 to chase, a packed stadium which will have many Waspies in -well we do have to visit family don’t we- 2 teams and 2 sets of fans desperate for the win….this could be a classic!

Come on you Wasps!

Chris

Once a Wasp ALWAYS a Wasp!

Rugby by birth. Wasps by the grace of God.

[coddy]

Bonjour Heathen, morning Wombles, morning all.

No structural damage this time luckily as the roof and fencing is new from after the damage from the last big storm.



Big ask from the boys today to get the win down in the smoke especially without Brad, Alfie and Big Joe but with the Willis boys back and both teams recent form we have a fighting chance.

COYW

[Neils]

Morning all.

Dog walk was fun yesterday but today blue skies and still but they promise more to come. No apparent damage here as managed to batten down most things pre-blast.

This match is a bit of a puzzler. We have been winning when not really playing our best until about 60/70 minutes in. We are missing our biggest loss - Brad but we do have 2x Willis in the team. I think Quins at home may be too strong for the whole game to allow us to do a late re-gather and push on. Lets hope those back in the team bring their A+ game (Zac and Jacob).

Safe travels to those going it looks as if it might be another windy one.

COYW

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Morning all!

We only really seem to perform againsg teams that supposedly completely outclass us and I'm not convinced that Harlequins are enough of favourites for us to throw off the shackles and smash them.

Either way I'm hoping Tom Willis can fill the Brad shaped hole we have, and that out front row can do as well against them as they did against the cheats.

Genuinely can't call this one.

[hookender]

Morning all from a calm looking Essex. Just looking at the  tiles missing from the bungalow behind me that had just been completed last weekend . My own distinctly dodgy fence panels are still in place.

 Looking forward to this one , which even the bookies were calling very close.                                       

 Bit of a trip could be on the cards as rail engineering works means  probably a drive to a different line is on cards, though I did see about possible works  at Clapham junction too. So maybe  a drive all the way there is on cards.

 Safe journey to anyone else going.

[Rossm]

Morning all. Bit of a cliché, but what a difference a day makes 😄

Looking forward to this one. Quins want to stay in the top 4 and we want to supplant them. Though we're without Alfie and Joe, they're not out because of injury so there won't be a hit to our morale. And Jack"s back. What a boost having him on the bench with his bro Tom starting. My confidence is rising just having written that!

[mike909]

Morning all - tea in hand, curling on the TV - all from a bright and seemingly not so damaged S Glos. We only suffered some bins over turned - and the fencing all passed muster....I think most of the trees were brought down last time!

As for today - probably time to play a full 80 minutes and why not today. It's not down to selection - so time for the players to perhaps not give us all heart attacks in winning, with such drama. All very well, but I'd trade for a quiet dull win today...

Safe travels

Mike

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Morning folks. Looks like our house and garden survived intact, more than I can say for our neighbours, as I survey out from the upstairs windows of our house.

With trains severely disrupted in London, I wonder how ticket holders will fare getting there?

How many of these season defining games have we had this year? I guess they all are in some way, but this one is important. COYW.

[mike909]

Travel - seems National Rail is suggesting trains from Waterloo to Twickenham are running

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Travel - seems National Rail is suggesting trains from Waterloo to Twickenham are running

It's getting to Waterloo that is the problem. Still I am sure rugby fans can be quite inventive and flexible.

[WonkyWasp]

Good morning everyone.  It's cold and a bit windy here  with a light sprinkling of snow left over from yesterday.  No actual damage that we've heard of  nor trees ('big sticks') coming down over the lanes.  So pleased to see the Willises both (both!) on the field at last .....  come on W.s.  And Come on Wasps all.  Mr W and I and family will be out at a memorial service when the match starts - and maybe when it finishes too.  Mr W has been firmly told not to keep gazing at his phone to check what the scores are.  Couldn't hazard a guess at  the outcome or the scores - too many imponderables- but I have an evil hope of a certain prop murmuring sweet nothings into Marler's ear and  there by sending him right off the rails.  Good luck boys.  You can do this. Safe journeys to everyone everywhere and safe landings .............  Allez Allez Allez ................  C O Y W .......

[mike909]

Travel - seems National Rail is suggesting trains from Waterloo to Twickenham are running

It's getting to Waterloo that is the problem. Still I am sure rugby fans can be quite inventive and flexible.

Well - Coventry to London Euston all on - You can go from Reading to Twickenham ok (it takes a while - my old routes) and if you can get to Euston - I guess a bus isn't off the agenda!

Euston to Waterloo is a 168 bus - takes less than 20 mins.....

[Shugs]

Morning all. Tricky one to call. I thought we’d have a big advantage at scrum time until Marler and Collier re-appeared. That levels things up and makes this a really tight one to call.

[Brandnewtorugby]

Morning all, best wishes to you and yours. The rain has just started here. I cannot go to the game today so it will be radio and updates on here, she the premiership TV option is available this week.

Really looking forward to the game today. Here's to a great game. Safe journey to travelers.

Come on you Wasps!
Notso