On a grey, bordering on chilly, day Wasps entertained Old merchant Taylor’s in their last League match of the 2013-2014 season, with OMT’s playing for possible promotion and Wasps playing to end an encouraging season with another home victory.
The game started at a Helter-skelter pace which did neither side any favours as the ball was being played quickly and in a somewhat cavalier manner by both sides. OMT’s started the better of the two sides and were controlling which end of the pitch the game was being played in, whist Wasps were committing to defence in an ‘if it moves tackle it manner’. This led to a disjointed game of over-commitment by both sides and ball being moved on, or spilt as players were being given little time to make positive decisions, or were just taking it straight into contact with their opposition to at least ensure that they kept the ball. These initial exchanges were mainly at the Wasps end of the field and showed clearly that OMT’s had come not just to win but to score Tries.
This was shown clearly after five minutes when awarded a penalty directly in front of the posts they tapped and went wide in the hope of scoring. Wasps responded well and never once turned their backs on a positive opposition who were possibly playing at a speed that meant they initially lost their structure, through an over keen approach. It was, however, an approach that was controlling where the game was being played and had at least eighty percent of possession.
After twenty minutes of OMT’s possession and territorial dominance, the Referee, who had been giving what he saw, rewarded the vociferous OMT support on the side, with his first Yellow Card to Liam, in what the modern parlance calls ‘taking one for the team’. It was a fair call as Wasps had certainly been giving away too many penalties up to this stage.
The imbalance in numbers allowed OMT’s to press even more and the Wasps defence, in which BJ, Freddie, Roon’s and Sam were standing out, was up to the task and kept their line intact. It was, however, one way traffic and something was going to have to give. Wasps had turned over possession on their line and were awarded a defensive scrum. They won the ball and were attempting to move the ball out in a series of pick and goes, the ball was dropped and spilt forward, from where the OMT’s backs moved the ball quickly through two pairs of hands for their Centre to crash over. The relatively close conversion was missed but OMT’s had taken what was a fully deserved lead for their dominance of possession and field position. Wasps 0 OMT’s 5.
Liam returned for the restart and the remaining minutes saw Wasps gaining parity in possession and some forward movement. They had just worked their way up the field and gained a throw in to an attacking line-out five metres from their opponent line when the half time whistle blew. It had been forty minutes of serious endeavour by both sides but very little constructive play, with one side probably playing too much rugby and too quickly, in and attempt to score Tries as soon as was physically possible, and the other defending resolutely and putting bodies into rucks and mauls to try and stop things at source. It had been whole-hearted but in many ways not particularly accurate by either side.
The second-half saw Wasps start from a defensive lineout, five metres from their own line, after an excellent deep kick-off. Wasps extricated themselves with some sensible short drives and controlled pick and go, and were soon up to their ten metre line. Then Wasps won another line-out and set up a catch and drive that was moved forward at least thirty metres. From the ensuing penalty they won the next line-out and sent Dami up the middle, he took a massive hit but set up good possession and BJ kicked the ball into the OMT’s corner. Wasps had their best attacking situation of the game. OMT’s won the lineout and relieved the pressure with an outstanding clearance kick from their lively Scrumhalf.
After ten minutes of even mid-field stagnation by both sides OMT’s kicked in behind the Wasps backs, Daniel kicked it back, but straight down the middle, the OMT’s backs immediately ran the ball back at a retreating Wasps backline. Dami held his hands up, and allowed his opposite number to run by him, the OMT player brushed against his chest and continued his charge into the Wasps twenty-two unimpeded. The next pass went to ground and the move finished. The Referee decided Dami had made deliberate contact with the player, and gave Wasps their second Yellow Card of the game, somewhat to the surprise of everyone.
OMT’s kicked the resulting penalty into the corner to set up an attacking line-out situation. One, that they took, with a catch and drive, followed by good ball control and some pick and goes, with each player being well supported. For the first time in the game they did not over-commit and scored and excellently controlled Forwards Try. The conversion was successfully landed and the score had moved forward to Wasps 0 OMT’s 12.
The restart saw continued efforts in midfield by both sides to be positive, Wasps were making small or marginal gains around the fringes through Freddie, Roons, Rory and Douggie, but the powerful OMT back-row were winning most of the collisions, or at least stopping Wasps from gaining any real momentum. Meanwhile OMT had started to stand deeper and attempt to get the ball wider, and were on occasions being tackled behind the gain line, thus an interesting phase of the game occurred.
Wasps on the offensive just outside the OMT twenty-two were turned over in midfield, the OMT Fly-half appeared to dither and look totally undecided, as he ran aimlessly across his twenty-two, Wasps pressed and seemed to have all options covered, but a missed tackle allowed the ball-carrier to go through Wasps back line. He was immediately supported by a fellow back who taking an inside line ran diagonally across the remaining sixty metres or so to score wide out on the left. The difficult conversion failed but OMT’s now had secured a commanding lead. Wasps 0 OMT’s 17 was the score, but more importantly they had scored their third Try and knew that one more would secure a bonus point, so they began to be more expansive in their use of the ball.
Wasps were also moving the ball wider when in possession and on two occasions got Fullback Ryan into the outside channel, but on both occasions he was clattered by totally committed tackles that stopped moves in their tracks. In fact in terms of possession and field position Wasps were having their best spell of the match, but equally were not getting too close to their opponents line with ball in-hand.
The next and final score of the game came when with Wasps pressing up in defence the OMT’s Fly-half threw a speculative pass back wide and deep to his Fullback well inside his own twenty-two.
He beat the onrushing Wasps player drew the next before passing to a support runner, two or three passes up the outside channel released the ball carrier into clear space and he duly scored an excellent team Try, to gain the bonus point they had been seeking since the games initial phases. The conversion was missed, taking the score to Wasps 0 OMT’s 22.
Wasps made one final effort to at least get on the scoreboard and attacked from the restart. Driving forward and winning a penalty in a positive position on the OMT twenty-two, BJ ran and picked up the loose ball, which had mysteriously arrived ten metres away from the offence, turned and quickly passed the ball back to his scrumhalf Ben, who was standing next to the Referee, the ball accidentally hit the Official, who deemed it a Yellow Card offence and sent BJ to the Bin. Having made it very clear before the game that quick tap penalties had to be taken directly in front of him, it was a tough call, colouring a perfectly good afternoon's work by the man with the whistle.
Wasps had given of their best in terms of commitment and attitude but had been beaten by the better side on the day, and could have no excuses. OMT’s had dominated possession over the eighty minutes, mainly through the strength, power and technique of their Back-row and Centres at the tackle area and over the ball in contact situations. They had taken advantage of two of the three Yellow Card situations that came their way and were justifiable winners. The bonus point win was enough to gain them promotion, as direct rivals Grasshoppers although winning at Finchley failed to gain a bonus point they needed to succeed.
For Wasps their effort and commitment could not be faulted but in this game they came up short against a team that clearly had much more to play for on the day. Man of the match was difficult as defensive attributes were the main contributory factor and hence the award went to BJ , whose seasons first start in the back-row produced a first class defensive display in terms of tackling, carrying, organisation and communications.
Wasps would have been disappointed to end a very positive League campaign with a defeat, particularly one in which they failed to score for the first time this season, but would also be delighted to have achieved their pre-season target of a top four finish, having played 20 games winning 13 and losing 7. This being in what has been a most competitive League, and being the only side to beat League Winners Harrow, albeit on an exceptionally wet pitch, they have certainly had a positive year.
Considering that many of the side had come together at the start of the season and on occasions they had only a bare minimum number of players to select from, the attitude of the players is to be commended. It has, however, over the last two seasons, become clearly apparent that at this level the successful sides are the ones that spend more time in the Gym during the week than in the Bar, this should be something that Wasps consider seriously before the start of next seasons extravaganza. Natural ability and a positive attitude get you a long way but in tight games physicality and all-round fitness usually decide the winner.
Well done and thank you to all involved on the playing side this season from ‘Riddler’ Dave and Ryan and we wish those of you who are moving on or just going home all the best for the future.