Always a Wasp

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I was there on a corporate jolly and it was the day I went from being a general rugby fan with no real allegiances, although I had a couple of favourites because of the rugby the played at the time, to being a Wasps fan.

We didn't live far from Adams Park at the time either, which was an added bonus.
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It was a great day - we all remember the try, but the thing I remember most was the graciousness of the Toulouse fans after the match
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'Poitrenade'! I remember it well :-* :-* :-*
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The story behind biggest gaffe in European rugby history: So bad it is now a dictionary definition

Men behind famous victory ? minus Cl?ment Poitrenaud ? on the try that sealed a memorable Heineken Cup triumph for Wasps
Charles Richardson, Rugby Reporter 22 May 2024 ? 4:14pm


When Wasps arrived at Twickenham on Sunday May 23, 2004, for their maiden European Cup final, they were only just getting started. Warren Gatland?s side had clinched their first Premiership trophy a season earlier but by the time this dynasty had finished, Wasps had won four domestic titles in six seasons and two Heineken Cups.

But at Twickenham in May 2004, Wasps had the chance to prove that they were no one-hit wonders, that they had the potential to become juggernauts on the European rugby scene. The club that is sadly no more, then based in High Wycombe, ran out for their first Heineken Cup final, against Toulouse ? the reigning European champions ? as underdogs.

It was not that Wasps did not possess world-class players ? Josh Lewsey, Stuart Abbott, Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley and Simon Shaw had all recently returned from winning the World Cup with England ? but Toulouse matched them. Barely a name in the French aristocrats? starting XV was not an international, and it boasted some of the most skilful and iconic players of the era; the likes of Fr?d?ric Michalak, Yannick Jauzion and C?dric Heymans in their pomp.

In the end, it was another of one of the most-gifted French players of the noughties, Cl?ment Poitrenaud, who as good as decided the fate of the match ? but for the most disastrous of reasons.

After the match, Poitrenaud said: ?I think I gave one of my best performances for two seasons. Unfortunately, we will only remember this great act of stupidity. I feel especially sorry for my team-mates who had put in a great deal of effort to get back into the match. Now it?s just another day.?

His captain, the great Fabien Pelous, added: ?I don?t really want to speak to Cl?ment right now as... I would say something that I would later regret.?

That great act of stupidity has gone down in European and French folklore, even spawning its own noun in Poitrenaud?s mother tongue. Of a ?Poitrenade? the dictionary reads: ?[Rugby] Clumsiness with disastrous consequences.?

With the game locked at 20-20 and extra time beckoning, Rob Howley threaded an innocuous-looking grubber down the left touchline. The Wasps scrum-half chased valiantly, but it seemed for all the money in the world that, as the ball trickled into the Toulouse in-goal area, Poitrenaud would touch down for a 22-drop-out. The French full-back, then just 22 years old, dithered, waiting for the ball to sit perfectly. During that procrastination, Howley pounced, and the TMO awarded the try. In an instant, Wasps were champions.

A week later, bleary-eyed from their European celebrations, Gatland?s side also defeated Bath at Twickenham in the Premiership final to secure their first double. With the help of Gatland, Howley, Worsley and Trevor Leota, Telegraph Sport tells Wasps? tale.
?The semi-final against Munster on its own was incredible?

Gatland: Europe was a massive goal for us in 2004. We did it the hard way by losing that home game to Celtic Warriors and having to win away in Perpignan ? that game was huge for us. They hadn?t lost at home for 18 months and we played exceptionally well. Then, the Munster semi-final, only about 2,000 Wasps supporters managed to get tickets ? the old Lansdowne Road was packed with Munster fans. Started really well, dominated most of the first half, then Munster came back and got in front and we had to dig deep to win it.

Howley: That loss to Celtic Warriors was a bit of a reality check and a kick up the backside for us. That provoked a response to us to go onto the final. Warren said it was no good being English champions ? which we had been the year before ? but that we had to be European champions. Obviously there?s the individual try for me in the final but the Munster semi-final at Lansdowne Road is one of the best games I?ve been involved in. It was a magical game, great to be a part of.

Leota: I definitely remember that Munster game. An unforgettable one. I scored the winner! One of the highlights of my career.
Trevor Leota scores winning try against Munster
Wasps' route to the final against Toulouse was not easy, they had to beat the might of Munster which they did thanks to a Trevor Leota try Credit: Getty Images/Christopher Lee

Worsley: The whole campaign was pretty epic. The semi-final on its own was incredible, the drama; an amazing day at Lansdowne Road.

The final was an incredibly difficult and tiring game ? but good fun! One of those which went so quickly where you?re just holding on, fitness-wise. I was blowing but somehow kept going. It was one of the most tiring matches I?d ever played in.
?Every time we had a chance we took our points?

Gatland: It was a game that I remember by thinking about how we dealt with their offloading game. But we just took our chances. They?d create chances but then they?d drop the last pass or make a mistake once they were in behind and offloading. We were pretty accurate that day. Every time we had a chance we took our points.

Howley: Toulouse were the better team on the day; their ability to offload, get in behind us, their physicality and their power. But we took our tries! We weren?t really in the game, down in territory, down in possession. When Toulouse went 20-11 down, their experienced internationals didn?t panic. They were able to find a way back to 20-20.

Worsley: The squad we had was pretty incredible. Some aspects of our game plan were quite advanced for that period and those two things coupled up to make us pretty competitive. Still, in that final, we weren?t lucky but... we knew that we had to find a tiny advantage, physically and organisationally, to win that game. Toulouse were pretty good that day.

Gatland: Joe was amazing. We tasked him with looking after Finau Maka, stopping him. I think he made an unbelievable number of tackles.

Worsley: Thirty-three! Several on Maka. It took me a few days to recover from that.

Gatland: It was a sensational performance. Any time Maka got the ball, Joe chopped him straightaway. Maka was so important for them, in terms of getting on the front foot. You couldn?t have picked a better person than Joe to be tasked with that job.


Worsley: The one try they scored was from a poor kick. That was the one opportunity we gave them. We were a very controlled team who could suffocate sides and give them no hope. In attack, Toulouse created chances, but we knew they would create a lot less if we neutralised their powerful runners. That?s something which, tactically, we did.

Howley: One of the most underrated players ? I thought he was world class ? was Fraser Waters. He and Stuart Abbott operated our blitz defence, coached by Shaun Edwards, and teams were not so used to our line speed.

Leota: The boys... we were so close. We were like a family, putting bodies on the line for everyone. It was just nuts. We were under so much pressure. I remember the crowd and the supporters getting behind us. The match was so intense, mate.
?He was dumbfounded, I wasn?t sure I had got the ball down?

With the scores locked at 20-20 and the clock ticking, Wasps kicked the ball dead, opting for territory. Michalak drops out and the ball heads in Howley?s direction. The rest is the stuff of dreams ? or nightmares, for a certain Toulousain No 15.

Howley: It was not great rugby between myself and Tom Voyce ? we let the ball bounce. Then I kicked the ball off my right foot rather than the more sensible left, and I?ve never known a ball bounce as straight or as long as that in my whole rugby career. It arched then kept dead straight. You wouldn?t expect that to happen with the oval ball.

But I never really thought I was in. There was a moment where I thought I might have a slight chance, and I accelerated. The ball took a wicked bounce and Poitrenaud should have dived on it but he?s allowed it to bounce up, thinking it would go perfectly into his hands, but that allowed me to get between his legs and arms to touch down. We all make mistakes but it is seen as the error which has cost them. If it had gone to extra time, who knows? He was dumbfounded. And I wasn?t 100 per cent sure that I?d got the ball down.

Leota: We were just crossing our fingers and hoping.

Howley: After waiting for the TMO, it was total exhilaration. I have dined out on that try many times, which is always nice. The try was just about not giving up. Poitrenaud made a horrendous mistake; you don?t see too many full-backs making those.

Worsley: I saw Poitrenaud a few weeks ago, actually ? I didn?t bring it up! He?s not ever going to want to talk about it.

Howley: For me, it was a shake of the hand and a tap on the back afterwards.

Gatland: I haven?t ever bumped into him. He probably still gets stick to this day! Everyone talks about the winning try, but it?s sometimes forgotten that the scores were 20-20 at that stage. We hadn?t used any replacements. Not because I wasn?t thinking about it but because at 20-20 I thought it was going to extra time ? and they?d used all their subs. I was thinking: ?If we can put all these fresh legs on in extra time then it?s going to make a difference.? Obviously, a brain-freeze from Poitrenaud meant there was no need.

?We had four days on the p--- and we still beat you?

Howley: The celebrations went on into the early hours. We not only partied well on Sunday night but Monday and Tuesday, too. We had a bit of a team run on Thursday and we turned up and still beat Bath the following weekend in the Premiership final.

I still take the mick out of Jonathan Humphreys [former Wales hooker] who was playing for Bath at the time. ?You couldn?t have been that good ? we?d had four days on the p--- and we still beat you!? We trained on the Thursday before Bath but after the Sunday final the celebration spilled into the week. It was worth celebrating.

Gatland: Having the emotion of winning the Heineken Cup ? and the celebrations and hype that goes with that ? and then regrouping and being good enough to win the following week; it was a pretty special six days. I?m very proud of that.

Worsley: I didn?t go out ? didn?t drink a drop! Not after the Toulouse game. I was so tired that I couldn?t do it. I knew there was a game a week later. I always prefer waiting for the right moment before cutting loose. That was after the Bath game. I was knackered ? it wouldn?t have been any fun.

All of us are very proud of doing the double. It?s very hard to do ? especially with a small squad and a lower budget than other sides. There are strange emotions, though, with what happened to Wasps. Immensely proud: of the club and players. But now the club is dead. It?s a strange feeling.

Howley: My father had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the previous October. I was just grateful and proud that my mum, dad and sister were able to watch that match. He died five months later, in October 2004.


Leota: People say [I?m a cult hero] but I just thank the man upstairs. I got the chance to play with some great people, great team-mates. I definitely didn?t expect any of it as a young boy going over to England, trying to make my mark and get something out of it. Winning all the titles was a bonus.

Gatland: We had some great fans, too. There was no better feeling than going into the West car park after the game ? my wife was there, all the sponsors, some supporters, and the staff with their partners ? with the trophy to have a few drinks. They were always special times for us as a group.

Howley: It?s something you?ll never forget.
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Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Ex Wasps signing for new clubs
« Last post by Neils on May 22, 2024, 09:26:15 PM »
Thanks for posting.
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Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Ex Wasps signing for new clubs
« Last post by Chunky24 on May 22, 2024, 06:35:38 PM »
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Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Leinster v Toulouse.
« Last post by coddy on May 22, 2024, 12:35:40 PM »
Me too, I'll find a homely Ale House to watch it in and cheer on Jack and his mates.
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Wasps Rugby Discussion / Leinster v Toulouse.
« Last post by Rossm on May 22, 2024, 10:27:03 AM »
FTA on ITV1. Looking forward to it.
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Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Treasure Island back on the market
« Last post by andermt on May 20, 2024, 01:23:19 PM »
Saw the outside thought Wow, saw the inside thought Yuk.

Like bits of it but the Treasure Island figures would freak me out constantly!
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Wasps Rugby Discussion / Re: Treasure Island back on the market
« Last post by WonkyWasp on May 18, 2024, 03:29:17 PM »
Far too much dusting.
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