Always a Wasp
General Category => Wasps Rugby Discussion => Topic started by: Rossm on June 13, 2019, 11:33:49 AM
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Bobby Bridge gives his verdict on Dai Young's squad heading into Gallagher Premiership season
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-rugby-news-ricoh-arena-16421744 (https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-rugby-news-ricoh-arena-16421744)
I'm always optimistic. Getting excited already about next season. It may be a bit of a roller coaster but there will be a lot of competition within the squad. With Malakai in the team, Lima should blossom. Hopefully Dobby, Billy and Matteo will all fully recover. I am concerned about fly half, should Billy not get over his horrendous injury. I would like to hear something positive about Jacob Umaga who may not be comfortable with being 3rd choice.
We certainly aren't rushing to strengthen our coaching team which I believe to be the correct way to go about it. Edwards was an unwanted distraction.
COYW.
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Ross, when you say
We certainly aren't rushing to strengthen our coaching team which I believe to be the correct way to go about it
do you mean the correct way is to strengthen the coaching team and Wasps aren't doing it?
Or do you agree with wasps approach to strengthen it but not to rush into appointing just anyone?
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The latter.
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The latter.
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Thanks for clarifying :)
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I am not sure that "superstar-laden" is an accurate reflection on previous years. We had a few, but were not exactly a Real-Madrid type "galactico" team. Some who might now be considered superstars were not so when they joined us (e.g. Nathan, Gopps) and developed at Wasps.
This year looks like a good balance between numbers and quality (or potential quality), perhaps some longer-serving players who were with us for the move to Coventry were on larger than normal salaries and now there is more money to spread about.
I think it could be another slightly shaky year as it takes a while to gel as a team with a lot of new players and we are a bit behind the development at Saints and Gloucester, but if we can use the numbers and avoid the injuries and develop as a team during the year then there should be a steady improvement leading to a better year then the one just gone, and hopefully better ones to follow.
Optimistic as ever of course.
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I like the make up of the squad with the investments in youth from within and other signings but I still feel that without adjustments to coaching and general club ethos/identity I’m still not massively confident we will see an improvement in our consistency next year
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Vaguely relevant? Just read this from 2014 in the pre-season predictions article:
"Wasps' potential has never quite been realised in recent seasons because of their ongoing medical bill.
"Seeing both Tom Varndell and Christian Wade as regulars on the team sheet should do wonders for the fans' nerves. If they pick up this season where they left off the last - doing the double over Stade Francais to secure the last European Rugby Champions Cup spot - this maturing team will cause problems for others in all competitions.
"Dai Young will have been hard pressed to ignore the number of points scored against them in their 2013-14 campaign and no doubt attention will have been paid to tighten up their defence. "
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Sorry, i dip in and out here, so at 10 we have Lima, and who else we know has signed and is fit and is fly half by trade?
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Gopperth is/was a 10... then we have Searle along with Umaga and Miller who can cover. The problem with a third-choice 10 who can only play 10 is they’re either useless, or tend to move on for better chances of first-Team rugby if they’re any good.
That’s why it’s best to have a first/second choice then utility players/academy players to cover
ps not sure I agree Wasps have turned Gopperth into a Superstar, I think we (I certainly did) underestimated his capabilities.
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I think Gopps was a decent 10 who, it just turned out, happened to be a bloody brilliant 12! We were lucky to be in a position to have a brilliant 10 to play alongside him and a lack of top class, fit, inside centres which moved Gopps into the 12 shirt. I don't think there was any masterplan to develop Gopps as a 12 but once it was apparent how good he was there we decided to stick with it.
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I'm always optimistic but I think with good reason this year. For me we have a better balanced squad this year both in terms of options and the mix of youth and experience. Hopefully we'll have a bit more luck with injuries and a few less bizarre distractions as well.
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I agree - I think the squad looks better balanced in many ways - lots of front row options and ability to rotate across the team with just a little luck with injuries.
The only player I will miss is Wade - but that's history now and I am looking forwards to seeing Marcus and the rest torture defences next season and just hope we manage our academy graduates well...
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After watching Wasps on TV all season and being at the Quins game then watching Sarries and Exeter in cup finals it seems evident to me that Wasps need a huge step up in S&C and need to invest there.
The fitness and ability of the top teams to play at high intensity for long periods and not drop off at the end is an enormous contributing factor in their success.
When Gats was DOR he put a lot of work into that area and had innovative ideas thst paid dividends. Same with Wales. Maybe that's why the national side are successful but regions aren't.
So for me, a set of the fitest reasonably talented and determined players who play together in a well coached team (e.g. Exeter) will usually beat a team of superstars who cannot play at a high intensity for long (e.g. Wasps).
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Sarries as a squad do seem a lot fitter than most teams.. especially their massive forwards who seem to be abe to run around at a high pace all day long which is obviously aerobic fitness.. which isn't normally associated with people with heavy muscle mass.
This extra fitness allows them to harry teams (rush defence) for long periods
They may be using science/research from other sports (long distance cycling,swimming) to increase VO2 max levels.
I watched a program where (ignoring the asthma medicins) research discovered that cafeine prior to physical activity enabled the body to absorb more oyxgen (is it the red blood cells that do that)..
I presume that would be cafeine tablets not some of Brad's products though ;D
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Whilst this might be construed as anti Sarries - part of their forwards' ability is surely down to being able to select so many top level forwards - taking some of the pressure off each other? How they can is another question
Thing is with Exeter - they really are v fit but we were able to compete with them (beat them too!) but they weren't putting out at their best, up to 5 starting Lions forwards like Sarries can. And for me - that allows them to look even fitter (than they really are) If George and Itoje and Vuni x 2 can all take the ball forwards - they get less tired perhaps?
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Our level of intensity and sustainability of effort has been terrible most of the season. The Quins game, which I saw live and which we were the better team for most of it, was in marked contrast to the speed and intensity of Sarries and Exeter in the following 3 weeks at the business end of the season.
Even when we finished first and played some scintillating rugby we often fell away for periods letting teams back in when we were miles ahead. We also finished several seasons looking jaded. This is definitely a fitness and concentration issue. Significantly, when Gats was in charge we were famous for peaking at the end of a season.
Interestingly when we beat Exeter recently we managed to concentrate and maintain defensive intensity for a sustained period at the death. So the team is capable but not consistently. Lots of injuries don't help but maybe there's a connection with S&C standards and that to some degree.
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We still have plenty of superstars, it is just that Shields, Lima, Fekitoa have yet to really make their mark to the same effectiveness of, say, Joe L or Dan R. Obviously we have not seen Fekitoa in b and g and whilst I think Shields will have a battle to secure a starting slot with lots of competition, he has not done badly so far. Lima has to show this year.
A lot of our old superstars developed at the club, and were weighted more towards the backs in number, giving the impression of a galactico team that was not really fair.
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Well, let’s at least give Fekitoa a chance! ;)
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This season will hopefully be the reverse of others in that we won't start off with as many 'galacticio's' but we might finish off with some (or some on their way to becoming one). As others have said we still have our share in the likes of Sopoaga, Shields, Fekitoa, Launchbury and Young. Alongside these we'll have Willis x 2 developing, Robson and Vellacott looks exciting and Bassett and Watson could be touching on England selection if they continue their form. On the strength and conditioning I don't think there's anything in it in terms of measurable differences between us and others. Especially last season I suspect we played a load of games with players on the field who shouldn't really have been.
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How long has Fekitoa signed for.
From what I saw in the BaaBaas game he will be a good addition to the squad (famous last words). He seems to be more direct in his running lines which I think was our major weakness last season.
Too many times we used the "pullback ball" from 1st receiver to a looping Lima who then tried to pass a wide ball to 13 to try and get around the oncoming umbrella defence.. most of the time it didn't work (slow ball from the 9, and it was all a bit predictable) , ending up with someone being tackled 10 m behind the gain line.
As nearly everyone has said, I hope we have more luck with injuries (especially with long term ones) as we have a good, varied squad on paper. I can't see Exeter or Sarries being troubled again but with a bit of luck I'm hopnig we can fight for the 3rd - 6th positions.. rather than be looking over our shoulders towards the bottom end of the table.
I also hope, we make a better challenge of the Premiership Cup. Its no coincidence that teams that have done well in tha compeeition 3or 4 years ago are now at the top of the league.
Last season (and the one before), we simply didn't have the resources
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Wasps never quote contracts but they do seem to use a 2 + 1 type. That is a two year plus one year option.
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We should have 40+ players available for the Premiership Cup. In addition, it will be interesting what, if any, preseason games are arranged. I see no reason why the Premiership Cup should not be more evenly contested by all 12 sides this season.
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Who are we going to possibly lose during the WC..
Launchers
Shields
Robson ?
Zuzu?
Minozzi?
The last 3 have slight question marks over them. If Minozzi and Robson can't take part in the Pre WC warm up matches their selection is questionable. .
Is ZuZu still on Georgia's radar?
Then there's the few players with long term injuries, or returning from them...