Wasps v Northampton Saints: Post match thoughts.

[Wombles]

Groundhog Day

Wide channels wide open

TCUP MIA

First up, well done Saints. Played the full 80, had one chance to win it and did so. When they started running hard and straight in the wide channels with runners on the shoulders to take the offload we crumbled. Indeed when we went down to 14 if it were not for a pass not given or knock on with a hole in our defensive line then their win would of been more comfortable.

Us, well despite throwing away leads being a recurring theme for us now we do like to find new ways to do it. 8 points clear with less than 3 minutes to go should be a win 99.9% of the time. Yet our defensive shape fell apart and our intensity disappeared. We got what we deserved.

Their was however good moments, Willis was immense. Oedendaal and Mills have potential as a centre paring (yet they need to switch positions). Atkinson composed, McDonald is stepping up well, even though he needs to learn that knock on under no pressure from kick offs will be punished.

But this is 2 points snatched from a possible 5. Maybe it will not matter in a couple of weeks, equally maybe it will if we survive. It is moments like this, second half’s like Gloucester and Bristol that cost you and make top 4
Fanciful, too 6 unlikely and bottom 4 deserved.

My heart goes out to Biyi as at the end he looked heartbroken, sitting directly behind where he was leaning against the post it was hard to watch, but heartening that he cares about this club and his team so clearly!

Lee et al needs to sort this…..and soon.

Chris

Once a Wasp ALWAYS a Wasp!

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I did say this before the match started, but when you are far from certain you are getting paid in 3 week's time, your mind will be elsewhere. I am pretty certain they won't get paid. So, they may have just played that match for free. Next week it will be worse, as we drive down to Exeter and are likely to get spanked.

At least we will know before the Tigers game.

[Wombles]

I don’t think it has anything to do with that Nelly, if this was a one off result, possibly, but as this is a recurring theme over more than one season this is a bigger, coaching issue. We may be gone in 2-3 weeks time, but if not then Lee has a hell of a job on his hands, if it’s not fixed soon though and our future and funding is secure then it may stop being his concern.

[Rossm]

Well, when you are down to 14, it's no surprise that the wide channels are wide open. Saints exploited this to perfection. But we're still our own worst enemies.

As an aside, their cross kick was right on the money and Jacob could probably have done nothing (legal) to stop their winger catching and dotting down. Why not let him catch it but make absolutely sure that he doesn't get one inch closer to the posts. OK, it's 5 points with a difficult kick to convert. Instead, it's a nailed on 7 points and we are a man down for the remainder of the game. It may look bad, just not competing, but surely, in the circumstances, it's the more sensible 'play' to make? Just my opinion of course.

[Wombles]

I was sat close to Jacobs incident and he made an absolute balls up of it, caught to far infield, panicked, looked at the saints winger then ran underneath/little jump with no chance to catch the ball, the noise his head made
Connecting with the wingers hip was pretty grim. But a red card and self inflicted injury was avoidable. Again TCUP comes straight to mind.

[mike909]

As an aside, their cross kick was right on the money and Jacob could probably have done nothing (legal) to stop their winger catching and dotting down. Why not let him catch it but make absolutely sure that he doesn't get one inch closer to the posts. OK, it's 5 points with a difficult kick to convert. Instead, it's a nailed on 7 points and we are a man down for the remainder of the game. It may look bad, just not competing, but surely, in the circumstances, it's the more sensible 'play' to make? Just my opinion of course.

I suppose that's a symptom of having a part time 15...I guess a regular back three player would have the experience to make better decisions.  He's improved on positioning and even tackling but 15 is more and complex.

[Covkid40]

I don’t know what to think anymore. Some good stuff and some awful stuff, thought Jack and Charlie were awesome, everyone knows I’m not a Jacob fan but apart from a fluffed high ball in the first few minutes I thought he played well, then his recurring brain fart. Unfortunately he’s starting to look like a red card waiting to happen. All of this has been going on to long now so what is wrong? Is it coaching or are some of the players just not good enough? Interesting conversation with my son on the way home, hypothetically if all Wasps player became available tomorrow and all the other clubs had the money and room in the cap who would have clubs scrabbling for their signature? Willis x2, Atkinson, Robson, Launchbury, Barbeary and maybe Shields can’t think of two many others.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Its starting to look like was Lee prescient going for WH-W. We won't be seeing much of Jacob for quite some time, which is a shame because he seems to have really improved his long range kicking, and Charlie looks like he's picking up a few niggles and might need a rest.

Despite the result, there was some excellent and solid performances.

Jack, as always gave everything and had a cracking game.

Nemo another very solid game, Mr Dependable. How can you leave him out? Its amazing that for all the back row talent we have we might be struggling a bit next week.

Oghre continues to impress and Frost looked good when he came on. Curran didn't let anyone down and despite his 2 fumbles aside McDonald looks good around the park.

The props were mostly solid and at least weren't a penalty machine.

As someone pointed out, the centre partnership worked, but perhaps they need to swap round occasionally. Odendaal is picking up the pace of the Premiership and looking stronger each week.

On the down side decision making under pressure is seriously poor.

[Steve from Cov]

Brave Wasps performance but we ran out steam and experienced players at the end.

Atkinson, Willis, Nemo, Oghre and Jacob all showed up well.

The best team lost today. Gutted.

[wasps]

Interesting conversation with my son on the way home, hypothetically if all Wasps player became available tomorrow and all the other clubs had the money and room in the cap who would have clubs scrabbling for their signature? Willis x2, Atkinson, Robson, Launchbury, Barbeary and maybe Shields can’t think of two many others.

I'd probably include Koch, West, Stooke and Odendaal
I think Crossdale, Oghre, Alo, Ryan and Odogwu would also find contracts somewhere

[backdoc]

Stooke, Koch, Willis and a fit Launchbury today and we would have won by 25 points.

[Steve from Cov]

Stooke, Koch, Willis and a fit Launchbury today and we would have won by 25 points.

+1

[Westy68]

Don’t forget West. We were missing a lot of quality players

Look I’m really upset about this afternoon, purely because it was inevitable that we would lose.

Saying that I thought we played well, much better then I thought we would. We were the better team for 78 minutes.

I’m sorry but McDonald really messed up at the end, catch the ball game over.

Charlie definitely had his best game in a wasps shirt, he is looking more and more confident. Jack Willis is a fantastic player and deserved to be on the winning side.

Carr was really good today and Oghre, I saw a lot of good things today but unfortunately the end was just so predictable

[backdoc]

And it does come down to the coaching.

[Shugs]

Well post match thoughts are, once again, just utter frustration. We had 4-5 chances to see that game out and coughed up all of them - it’s just not good enough. Who makes the on field decisions and why do they get so many wrong? We can all list the outstanding players we have. And we do have them. But we’re not winning enough games. In fact we’re finding increasingly ludicrous ways of losing them. Atkinson, Carr, Willis were brilliant. They normally are. But we lost again from a position that was almost impossible to lose from and we’re making a terrible habit of it.