Always a Wasp

Just a headsup to non-West Midlands folk.

The choice of tickets for the Commonwealth games opened today. It includes Rugby 7s at the Coventry Stadium (wherever that might be  )

When I say choice it's a bit like the Olymlpics - you choose the Sport, day and time you want, pay for the tickets by card. Wait for the ballot to see if you actually get them, and if not get your card refunded.

Hopefully it's better than the Olympics when I also selected the option to get alternative day tickets if my first choice not available, and ended up with tickets for four different sports all happening at the same time!

BT Sport Dream Team 2021:

15 Charles Piutau (Bristol Bears)

14 Tom O’Flaherty (Exeter Chiefs)

13 Semi Radradra (Bristol Bears)

12 Piers O’Conor (Bristol Bears)

11 Josh Bassett (Wasps)

10 Marcus Smith (Harlequins)

9 Danny Care (Harlequins)

1 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)

2 Akker van der Merwe (Sale Sharks)

3 John Afoa (Bristol Bears)

4 Chris Vui (Bristol Bears)

5 David Ribbons (Northampton Saints)

6 Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs)

7 Will Evans (Harlequins)

8 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)

It was great to be back yesterday, in fact I liked the extra room we had.

However talked to various people, some I previously knew and some I met for first time, and the only complaint everyone had was about parking.

Several people, hadn't brought a copy of the confirmation email, and because the VRN entrance system wasn't working it took ages to let them in, I had to pull to one side and dig through my emails on my phone. It was lucky I hadn't deleted the Ricoh confirmation, although I knew I had deleted thr Glade confirmation. I have checked the emails this morning and neither the Ricoh or Glade one mentions you should bring a copy of the confirmation. One person had only been allowed in when he threatened he would bring a civil action against the Ricoh and Glade for taking his money and then refusing admittance, however I hadn't any form of proof, but they took my word so maybe he was just a bit beligerant.

Second complaint was that almost everyone had donated half a seasons car park and match season ticket values to the Club, and had bought a STplus assuming there might be uo to 4 matches this season, so surely the Club could have allowed the car park feen for those people to be free. COuldn't really disagree with that!

The only match, with the exception of Exeter/Sale, that couldn't affect our Champions Cup propects.

Wasps complete stunning comeback with last-gasp try to keep Champions Cup hopes alive

Lee Blackett's side outscored London Irish 29-3 in a barnstorming second half, with Tom Willis grabbing a hat-trick

    London Irish 36 Wasps 39

There are great half-time team talks and then there's the masterclass that must have been delivered in the changing rooms here to Wasps. Down 33-10 at half-time after a frankly woeful first half, with their season on the line, Wasps produced a quite staggering comeback, outscoring Irish 29-3 in a barmy second half in sun-drenched Brentford on Saturday.

Statistically it was Wasps' greatest-ever comeback in the Premiership. Towards the end of the most torrid of seasons, blighted by injury and loss of form, this was a frankly heroic performance to keep their Champions Cup hopes alive.

"Please don't play like that again," Wasps head coach Lee Blackett joked regarding his half-time message. "Instantly in the second half, we were a completely different team. Jeez, I'm happy with the way we fought back. A lot of emotion went into that. Absolutely brilliant result."

It was equally a heart-breaking finish for Irish but they have been here before too many times this season. They were astonishingly good in the first half, flinging offloads around and scoring five tries. Their excellent No 8 Albert Tuisue deserved better.

Declan Kidney, London Irish's director of rugby said: "This is a good group. We'll be holding them together and we'll be stronger for today. We have to remember that in the first 40 minutes we showed touches of what we can do."



Irish's sensational passing and clinical finishing led to centre Curtis Rona and Tuisue scoring twice in the first half - his second at thundering carry off the base of the scrum through Brad Shields before half-time - with Ollie Hassell-Collins adding another with a sprint up the touchline. Wasps, it should be added, were a defensive mess at this point, their sole score coming from a Josh Bassett interception try and down 23 points.

Wasps couldn't get any worse and to their credit came out for the second half like a rocket. Tom Willis finished off a break by Marcus Watson who then went over himself in the corner, set up well by Umaga to cut the deficit to within two scores.

All the momentum was now with Wasps, with Willis soon over again off the back of a rolling maul to secure Wasps a try bonus point. They followed it up with a stunning score, started by Robson's wide pass and finished by Bassett scything infield off his wing to leave Wasps down by just four points.

Jackson could have taken another shot at the posts but curiously went to the corner, twice. Neither decision paid off.

This absurd game deserved more drama and it delivered. Watson seemed to have scored but was dragged into touch, just.

Time was now long past 80 minutes but Wasps had a final penalty, tapped quickly, bludgeoning Irish's line. Fittingly it was Willis who delivered, completing his hat-trick and rounding off an astonishing turnaround. What heart from Wasps. What an astonishing collapse by the Exiles.
Match details

Scoring sequence: 5-0 Rona try, 7-0 Jackson con, 12-0 Hassell-Collins try, 12-3 Umaga pen, 17-3 Rona try, 19-3 Jackson con, 19-8 Bassett try, 19-10 Umaga con, 24-10 Tuisue try, 26-10 Jackson con, 31-10 Tuisue try, 33-10 Jackson con, 33-15 Willis try, 33-20 Watson try, 33-25 Willis try, 36-25 Jackson pen, 36-30 Bassett try, 36-32 Umaga con, 36-37 Willis try, 36-39 Umaga con

London Irish: T Parton; J Stokes, C Rona, T Hepetema, O Hassell-Collins; P Jackson, N Groom; W Goodrick-Clarke (rep F Gigena 58), A Creevy (rep M Matu'u 47), O Hoskins (rep L Chawatama 25), A Coleman, R Simmons (rep G Nott 75), M Rogerson, B Cowan (c, rep S O'Brien 47), A Tuisue

Not used: J Cooke, R Brand, J Atkins

Wasps: C Atkinson (rep R Miller 72); M Watson, J de Jongh, M le Bourgeois (rep J Gopperth 64), J Bassett; J Umaga, D Robson; T West (rep S McIntyre 38), G Oghre (rep T Cruse 53), K Brookes (rep J Toomaga-Allen 42), W Rowlands, J Gaskell, B Shields (c, rep T Cardall 71), T Young (rep S Vailanu 51), T Willis

Not used: B Vellacott

Referee: T Foley

Attendance: 4,150

Just watched the match highlights on the PRL site and watching the build-up to Young's (and wasps) first try showed the imortance of Launchers.

As Young bends to pick the ball, vacing towards his right, Launchers runs over and turns him to the left before driving him over. Just a sublime example of his vision.

Foe those watching the highlights it happens at about 24 seconds in.

All the talk over the last couple of days has been the mooted soccer Europeam Super League, but that got me thinking "With CVCs buying into the various European rugby leagues I can see them wanting to set up a similar European Super League for Rugby Union".

Could such a thing happen?

Would there be relegation, and if so how would it work?

Assuming such a thing was to happen, though, which Clubs would be in it? Not us for sure.