Wasps Vs Leinster

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Just posting this as I can't see another match thread.

We're just a few minutes before half time and 20 - 0 down.

I actually think ball in hand we've shown a good tempo and attacking intensity. I think we've been fairly slick.

But there are lots of buts.
- we can't seem to hold onto the ball. Leinster are targeting the ball but we're also unnecessarily spilling it.
- not consistent under the high ball
- really bad discipline - offside however many times?
- lineout a bit shaky

It's frustrating to see green shoots totally undermined by lack of accuracy. Let's score some points in the second half;

[WaspieMatt]

It’s been painful to watch again. Leinster have not even got out of 3rd gear.
Have we ever been nilled at the Ricoh?
For me given there is nothing riding on the result there has been too much kicking the ball away in possession. When we have the ball we’ve looked okay until the inevitable knock on.
Under the high ball we have been pretty poor again and out ability to give away penalties just beggars belief.
There has been very little to cheer about at the Ricoh today. We really are a team that has fallen hugely from grace. Sad times.

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

There is something not working in the coaching because accuracy and discipline is not being drilled into us. Or if it is being drilled in, it's being ignored. Some panicking in attack too e.g with Miller's pass.

And we can't defend mauls.

Our try a very good moment though. Good phase play and composure.

[Eezamarlowman]

Agree with waspiematt, these are sad times. Very little to be happy about, just glad we have Launchers, YY and Robson in the squad. Our only true quality in my opinion. Leinster not even having to try too hard. Embarrassing

[bournender2]

Adamson rarely smiles, but he was having a joke with danabout his not allowing His quick penalty when he would have scored. Anyone know why he pulled him back?

Whenever we try to choke tackle, they target our legs to pull it down, which I suppose  is legal if maul has not been called, but if the leg is not that of the carrier?

[ElliesBoss]

It's a non game for us. Don't know why when faced with the blue line we aren't trying a few chips or grubbers.

[WaspieMatt]

Second half a bit more encouraging but we were dead and buried after 40 mins.
Thought Daly was dreadful today and his club form certainly doesn’t warrant England selection. I’m never going to accuse a player of not trying and I don’t think that is the case with Daly but something appears very wrong with him on the field at the moment.
Thought Carr was outstanding for us and Ben Morris has a solid game. Good to see Marcus Watson on the score sheet- hopefully this will help his confidence as I suspect we’ll need him to step up over the next few weeks.

[Neils]

Why was a Pro 14 referee in charge today. Lots of chats with the team he knew heard on ref link. Puzzled.

[coddy]

Happy with the game, no known injuries and three good tries against a side that is practically the 2nd best International team on the planet.

[Jac A]

I agree with Coddy. It was a decent enough game and almost all the team acquitted themselves well. The scrum looked very good and the lineout did well enough. Carr, Morris and Rowlands impressed as did Gaby. There's no disgrace in losing to that Leinster team. We competed well at the breakdown too with only one pen for holding on that I can recall, against SOB and JvdF that's pretty decent. Defence looked fine too, I'm not sure any teams would have stopped the two mauls they scored from and the second try was excellent play.

We do just make too many mistakes in the opposition 22, I'm sure we must make more handling errors there than any other team!

I see the point about a Pro14 ref but I thought he had a good game, fair and consistent and allowed a good game.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I didn't watch the whole thing, but dipped in and out.  Thankfully I saw more of the second half than the first.

The first half was the same old story, everyone trying too hard and making silly errors.  However the second half was a lot better in my opinion.  We saw some flashes of old form from people who have been widely written off.  Watson's finish was the best thing he's done in my memory, and Gaby's set up for him was a genuine thing of beauty.  If the rest of the team could pin defenders half as well as he did then we'll be just fine.

Carr was wonderful, Morris was better than his lack of appearances would suggest, and Dobby showed exactly why he should be in the 6N.

All in all considering how irrelevant the game was, and how everyone had already written it off I am pretty happy with that.  Nathan might miss a game or two, and I wouldn't be surprised if Launch needed a bit of a rest to recover from the knock he had, but we'd lose both of them for a while soon anyway.

I'm not going to say anything negative until I've had time to sleep on it, I always seem to think the worst when I am still full of emotion from the game.

[Chilham]

Happy with the game, no known injuries and three good tries against a side that is practically the 2nd best International team on the planet.

Yep.

[BG]

Just back from the game. I think the result flattered us to some extent and I have a suspicion that Leinster didn't even get out of 2nd gear.

The set piece was good but they completely dominated the breakdown securing quick ball for themselves and slowing ours, to such an extent that parts of the 1st half looked like a training session.

At least the guys on the pitch stuck with it and battled on.. well almost everyone did. One player in particular looks completely out of sorts and I don't think EJ could have been that impressed.

[andermt]

Adamson rarely smiles, but he was having a joke with danabout his not allowing His quick penalty when he would have scored. Anyone know why he pulled him back?

Listening on ref-link he said he couldn't take a tap and go before he had blown the whistle for the penalty.

Why was a Pro 14 referee in charge today. Lots of chats with the team he knew heard on ref link. Puzzled.

Not blaming the ref and no conspiracy theories from me but I have to agree and the familiarity was obvious to see and think it helped Leinster as they know how he operates.

There were some strange decisions made, the high tackle penalty we got was ridiculous, he even told Daly, yes he was dropping but it was still high. If that is how high tackles are going to be reffed then Rugby has some issues going forward.
Haven't looked at where the officials come from but was surprised to hear one of them had a very strong Irish accent.


A lot of positives in the 2nd half and think they played better than they have recently, for me, Lima looked better and started showing why he is here, we missed Launch after he went off, still too many silly mistakes and they need to hold onto the ball better.
Missed YY at the breakdown

[welsh wasp]

The alternative to a Scottish Pro 14 referee would have been a French or Italian one. Don't think there are any Italian ones involved and I guess the French ones were involved in other games. Thought he was generally fine and good at chatting with the players when appropriate.
Like other comments, I agree we made some improvements in the second half against a very tough side.Carr was excellent. Great to have Robson back doing what he is best at at. Gabby was better than some of the recent comments about him. Rowlands and Morris did very well. Lima seemed to be settling in better. Don't know how Cruse carries on playing at such a high energy level.