Always a Wasp
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31
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: The Alfie conundrum
« on: April 16, 2022, 01:13:50 PM »This may be controversial but strictly on form I think our current best back row would be Barbeary 6, Shields 7 and T Willis 8. I think J Willis will eventually be a must pick but I sense he’s (understandably) still just finding his way a bit. The way the game has changed and his injury have reduced his turnover effectiveness for the time being. He’ll be fully back soon enough and in time I think both he and Barbeary will feature in the next England squad.I'd agree that these 3 are probably the most on-form, but I'd worry it leaves us short of a work-horse/scavenger in the pack. Perhaps compensated if Oghre is hooker as he does a lot of work at the breakdown on both sides of the ball. But it is good to have something like Shields, J Willis, then either of our ball-carrying 8s, as it frees the latter up to focus on those opportunities with the ball in hand.
32
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Biarritz v Wasps: Post Match Thoughts.
« on: April 16, 2022, 01:06:40 PM »
Re-watched the tries, and 3 of ours came about from a Biarritz player shooting up out of the line and Atkinson or Barbeary exploiting the resulting dog-leg. Emphases the importance of a cohesive defensive line and playing heads up in attack.
Of theirs, 2 are from mauls where the Biarritz player breaks off just after our player (perhaps Frost in both cases?) joins the maul as it starts to creak forward (not blaming Frost). I guess after the first time it happened we put Barbeary there but he was slow off the mark and then took the player too high to stop him. Something for the coaches to solve.
Armitage's try for them should not have happened (at least not off first phase), yes he has decent acceleration but a no.8 shouldn't be making it over from that far out when the scrum doesn't wheel a lot, seems Willis hesitated about which way he had gone or something.
Of theirs, 2 are from mauls where the Biarritz player breaks off just after our player (perhaps Frost in both cases?) joins the maul as it starts to creak forward (not blaming Frost). I guess after the first time it happened we put Barbeary there but he was slow off the mark and then took the player too high to stop him. Something for the coaches to solve.
Armitage's try for them should not have happened (at least not off first phase), yes he has decent acceleration but a no.8 shouldn't be making it over from that far out when the scrum doesn't wheel a lot, seems Willis hesitated about which way he had gone or something.
33
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Match Thread
« on: April 15, 2022, 07:59:02 PM »
Yes we weren't as good as in the 2nd half but Biarritz were a different team. Needed to control possession more, many of the kick exchanges we lost. Also couldn't do right by the ref for the first 25 of the first half. But will take a win.
Alo and West went very well, Millar-Mills and Harris less so. Bassett looked pissed to have been benched when he came on.
Hope Atkinson is ok.
Alo and West went very well, Millar-Mills and Harris less so. Bassett looked pissed to have been benched when he came on.
Hope Atkinson is ok.
34
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Match Thread
« on: April 15, 2022, 06:56:11 PM »
If we keep focused this could be a lot more, destroying them at the scrum and if we keep it a few phases gaps open quickly. But easy to take the foot off when it looks a done job.
35
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: More Changes?
« on: April 14, 2022, 01:04:11 PM »
That exists in soccer already for the Premier league so yeah hardly an innovation, or specifically "from" the NFL
36
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Teams Up for Biarritz.
« on: April 14, 2022, 01:03:11 PM »14. Henry Speight, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 12. Francis Saili
Yeesh yeah they might not be doing very well but that half of the backline has some potential to cause havoc.
Like out side, Gops and Feks the only non-Englishmen in the 23?
37
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Abby Dow bad injury
« on: April 10, 2022, 04:16:08 PM »
Ah shit, well sounds bad enough anyway, wishing her a speedy recovery
38
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Abby Dow bad injury
« on: April 10, 2022, 06:35:05 AM »
Amy updates on Dow's injury? She hasn't posted on Twitter and can't find an update by searching
39
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Latest Clear Out - Saints
« on: April 08, 2022, 04:57:24 PM »
For me Tuala is the most interesting of the 4. But couldn't say how he is going for his age.
40
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Backs - Thoughts on next season (long)
« on: April 06, 2022, 09:02:56 PM »
First, thank you for not mentioning Barbeary anywhere in that post 
Second, thanks for laying it all out, I hadn't really appreciated what a potential problem we might have at 13. Will be interesting to see if one comes in soon.
I disagree 15 is particularly weak for us, I think Crossdale (with a run of games I think he'd improve a lot), Minozzi, and Umaga are more than good enough. I think the usggestion of Umaga playing his way back to 10 via a stint at 15 is credible too.
Finally, this highlights what an odd, if exciting, signing Haydon-Wood would be. If we really needed more cover at 10, going for someone more different to Atkinson, i.e., experienced, would have made much more sense. Will believe it when I see it.
Second, thanks for laying it all out, I hadn't really appreciated what a potential problem we might have at 13. Will be interesting to see if one comes in soon.
I disagree 15 is particularly weak for us, I think Crossdale (with a run of games I think he'd improve a lot), Minozzi, and Umaga are more than good enough. I think the usggestion of Umaga playing his way back to 10 via a stint at 15 is credible too.
Finally, this highlights what an odd, if exciting, signing Haydon-Wood would be. If we really needed more cover at 10, going for someone more different to Atkinson, i.e., experienced, would have made much more sense. Will believe it when I see it.
41
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Blackett on Gloucester game
« on: April 03, 2022, 03:35:15 PM »I was watching a game on youtube yesterday from 2016 against Tigers and Ben Kay was saying how he always tried to compete in defensive line outs because even if he didn't steal the ball he would hope to land in the area where the opposition wanted to set up their maul.This is a penalty offence the officials are quite hot on now.
42
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Congratulations Jimmy Gopperth!
« on: April 02, 2022, 06:08:08 PM »
If anyone fancies trying to guess the other 190 players who have scored Premiership Points for Wasps, here's a quizz: https://www.sporcle.com/games/shrekwasp/wasps-premiership-point-scorers
Christian Wade's points total isn't divisible by 5
Is that a mistake or did someone let him take a conversion one time?!
Maybe he drop-goaled one 7s style once to speed up the process?
43
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Joe Launchbury: Coaching kids and captaincy has brought best out of me
« on: April 02, 2022, 01:44:46 PM »Agreed, love that“I feel so accepted here. To have left and for this club to have then gone on and won something, I couldn’t have lived with myself,” he says. “I remember Francesco Totti talking about Roma and saying that he would rather win one trophy with Roma than ten somewhere else. I have always felt that here. I am in the right place for what I want to achieve.”
Love this. Great commitment to the club. Hopefully many more are of the same mind.
44
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: PRTV Live - Glos v Wasps.
« on: March 31, 2022, 05:36:44 PM »No, it only works in the app and not on their website.
So I cannot run it from my MacbookPro via HMDI to my smart TV?
That should work fine as you're just displaying the output rather than using the TV to log in etc
45
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: What do we do about fly half?
« on: March 27, 2022, 07:31:11 PM »
I agree with other comments that is feels like the coaching staff are going all in on Umaga & Atkinson and we won't be seeing a signing. And I'm OK with that.
Umaga clearly has the ability to play at 10, it just needs unlocking consistently. I do think the "experience" with England has messed him up a bit but eventually he will get over it and I am optimistic will be the player we all hoped he could be a couple of seasons ago. It is very frustrating watching him as we all know what he is capable of but I don't think that means we give up.
Atkinson is further behind on his development curve so I would also not be too worried about whether he is performing like a first choice premiership 10 yet - that's just unrealistic. We as fans have to accept younger players not always performing well if we ever want the club to bring through talent rather than just ship it in. Of course, sometimes a player's development does not progress as expected, and then something needs to be done, but we're definitely not there with Atkinson yet, and I don't think so with Umaga either.
Having an in-form 9 and 12 either side will make a big difference to either of our 10s, and they have so rarely had that this season, thanks to injuries and key players not hitting their straps. If that is rectified (most likely when Odendaal joins as I don't feel optimistic about Mills...) then I think we will see a big difference in both 10s performances.
Basically I am saying keep the faith...
Umaga clearly has the ability to play at 10, it just needs unlocking consistently. I do think the "experience" with England has messed him up a bit but eventually he will get over it and I am optimistic will be the player we all hoped he could be a couple of seasons ago. It is very frustrating watching him as we all know what he is capable of but I don't think that means we give up.
Atkinson is further behind on his development curve so I would also not be too worried about whether he is performing like a first choice premiership 10 yet - that's just unrealistic. We as fans have to accept younger players not always performing well if we ever want the club to bring through talent rather than just ship it in. Of course, sometimes a player's development does not progress as expected, and then something needs to be done, but we're definitely not there with Atkinson yet, and I don't think so with Umaga either.
Having an in-form 9 and 12 either side will make a big difference to either of our 10s, and they have so rarely had that this season, thanks to injuries and key players not hitting their straps. If that is rectified (most likely when Odendaal joins as I don't feel optimistic about Mills...) then I think we will see a big difference in both 10s performances.
Basically I am saying keep the faith...