Well I really enjoyed that as a game. BCS is a great venue and I had a wonderful time enjoying the rugby and the atmosphere. Was fantastic to see and hear so many Wasps fans there.
A real shame about the result and I can understand the frustration many on here seem to feel but having had a cursory glance though here and the match thread as well as some other SM outlets there's a lot I can't agree with.
For the game itself, Josh and Franny were excellent in defence and attack for most of the game, Robson and Mala had the best games I had seen from them in a while. Pack was strong, Jack Willis' defence really good. In fact would be hard to criticise anyone for the first 65 mins. I do agree that the replacements didn't work. Porter mucked up and Odogwu looked off the pace and elsewhere - with Franny tired (he probably should have come off) and Paolo not at the races we looked so vulnerable down our right flank.
But I don't think that making the changes was a knowable mistake. It's all well and good, with hindsight, to say we shouldn't have made them as we needed to retain control but our replacements have been great up until today.
In the last 10 games before today we have been ahead at half time in just 2 but have gone on to win 7. In the last 25 mins of those matches we have only been out-scored once (7 - 8 against Saints), in those 10 games we have scored 98 points in the last 25 mins and conceded only 30. I have seen comments suggesting we can't hold on to a lead etc and I think that is nonsense, against Leicester and Saracens our replacements were key in holding on to tight leads and against Bath and Worcester they turned tight wins into big wins. Today was an anomaly on current form.
I don't think we have been terrible this season, yes, we are in 9th but we are two points off 6th and despite playing for large parts of the season with a huge injury list which included many of our key players we have stayed competitive. London Irish are a good team and have some great players, it was really close to call at the start of the day and we ran out of steam while they found another gear, it happens.
As for staying in a game for 80 mins - we fought to the last at Worcester despite having the win and got the late Tom Willis try, we stayed in the game against Gloucester at Kingsholm and defended their statement set-piece to win the game, Look at the tries we scored to at the end to win against Exeter and Bath. Yes, Gloucester beat Bath and kept playing to the end and showed some 'passion' but Bath had given up and the rivalry there is such that Ludlum and co would always keep going - don't forget we beat that Gloucester side just a few weeks ago so I don't think they are streets ahead in the commitment stakes.
This is an incredibly competitive league, anyone can beat anyone and sometimes things go wrong and sometimes other teams get it together and play better. I'll echo RogerE's comment, fantastic game for the neutral and lets remember us coming back to win from 33-10 down last year - it happens.