Wasps played Finchley on Saturday, after a months break for Christmas and inclement weather, and both sides were exceptionally keen to get going, arriving on the playing area well ahead of the Referee. Both teams started at a pace and both teams competed for who could make the most errors in the opening exchanges, dropped passes, forward passes and knock-ons were seen in abundance, but at least both sides had started with a positive intent to take full advantage of the excellent playing conditions.

With neither side initially managing to put phases together the game had a stop start nature to it. The Referee joined in with the spirit of the game and allowed both sides ample advantages from their opponent errors and a fast loose fluid game was beginning to evolve. Wasps were mainly in the Finchley half for the first fifteen minutes and created their first opportunity, when back-row Ryan took a quick tap penalty and charged towards the line, an off-load to Luke saw the ball transferred to Paynee who was tackled inches short of the line.

The next Wasps attack saw Dami on the end of a passing movement, which for a change was error free, going over the line but being held-up by stalwart Finchley defence. Wasps dropped the ball from the ensuing scrummage and Finchley took their chance to attack. From one series of plays they in-turn were held-up over the Wasps line. The defensive capabilities of both sides were beginning to show and it was clear that any Try was going to have to be fully earned, there were going to be no ‘freebies’.

Wasps who were initially being squeezed in the scrummages began to gain parity and were fortunate that Nick Brown was having an excellent game in the line-outs, thus they had adequate ball to play with. The same could be said of the Finchley line-out which was also functioning accurately at this stage.

During the First-half Finchley, through their back-row were having the better of the breakdown exchanges and Wasps were turned-over or penalised on a number of occasions when in possession thus breaking their attacking intentions. They were, however, being positive and felt that things were only going to get better for them if they looked after the ball in a more productive manner.

Wasps were themselves on the attack after a turn-over of their own, and looked about to initiate the scoring when back-row Ryan dived over the line, but somehow threw the ball forward as he was landing, credit to the Finchley defender who did not give up on what looked a lost cause.
From the twenty-two drop-out Griff broke up the blind side, fed Daniel who had a lively run stopped inches short of the line and Wasps again felt that an opportunity had passed them by. Finchley returned to the attack and a very well executed backs move saw their right winger driving over in the corner, only to have Fullback Ryan dive under him and hold him up. Defence was again the order of the day.

During the Half there had also been two other occasions when Finchley players had been either tackled just short of the line or had been held-up. At both ends of the pitch it had become a game of almost but not quite and how each team dealt with these disappointments would almost certainly be important as the game progressed.

Finchley attacked positively through the final five or ten minutes of the half and had certainly done enough to keep the half-time score even at Wasps 0 Finchley 0 a fair one. It could, however, easily have been 20 points each, as both sides had clearly created chances once their initial rustiness had been brushed off, but exceptional defensive efforts by individuals on both sides had ensured that the Referee had not had to use his pencil on the score card.

The start of the second half saw an initial attack by Finchley rewarded with a penalty right under the Wasps posts in what appeared to be a guaranteed three points, but the straightforward kick was sliced badly wide and Wasps were reprieved from going behind.

Wasps had decided at Half-time that they needed to put more bodies into the breakdowns to negate the turn-overs they were conceding and were immediately rewarded with more ball, as they began to gain turn-overs and decisions themselves. This additional possession enabled them to gain a strong territorial advantage in the match. Blayne kicked effectively for position, the scrummage, with the additional bulk and power of Kieran, was now going really well and Wasps pick and go was starting to make inroads into the Finchley mid-field. Ausie Alex, Freddie, Douggie and Sam all made meaningful indents and turned the opposition around. Whilst Griff and Juan’s mobility meant that the Wasps forwards were beginning to play in a much more structured way. This in turn enabled Scrumhalf Ryan and Blayne to exert some degree and pattern of control on the game.

From one series of drives and quick rucks Nick was released down the left hand side and trying to step inside the last defender, when the path outside was possibly a better option, was held up over the line. Defence again was the winner.

However, the position was not to be wasted as from the next series of plays a Finchley player transgressed and was off-side. Blayne struck the kick from twenty eight metres out, just to the left of the posts cleanly through the middle. Wasps had taken a deserved lead from their start to the second half. Wasps 3 Finchley 0 after fifty three minutes was a strange score in a game that had produced so many chances for both sides, but at least now both sides had cut out their handling errors and a very combinative game was gathering pace.

Wasps continued to mange to keep the game in the Finchley half and their kick chase game was forcing the Finchley back three into hasty clearances. From one such mid-field clearance Blayne ran the ball back to the left, dummied to kick, beat the on rushing defence and fed Nick who in typical style out ran the covering defence to score in the corner. The difficult conversion was narrowly missed but Wasps renewed efforts of the Second-half had taken them into a more comfortable lead. Wasps 8 Finchley 0.

Finchley as expected immediately redoubled their efforts and were again attacking just in the Wasps half when awarded a penalty, a quick tap penalty and forward drive caught Wasps tackling within the ten metre requirement and Wasps were marched back, giving the Finchley kicker a much more realistic penalty chance. The kick taken by a different kicker was surprisingly pushed well to the right of the posts and Wasps again breathed a sigh of relief.

Wasps worked their way back up the field by a combination of some fairly astute kicking options and a pack that were controlling the breakdowns and making controlled yardage through sensible options. No one was trying to be a ‘hero’ and an effective pattern and strategy was beginning to see them looking comfortable with their lead.

The pressure was now on Finchley to attack from deep. There previously accurate line-out began to make errors and Wasps were able to win additional ball. Finchley thus started to employ a more direct kick and chase style of play to get out of their own half, which to an extent suited Wasps, as their back three of George, Nick and Ryan where effectively being brought into the game by the opposition. One ball being run back at least forty metres saw George running at the line, he like many before him in this game, was held up over the line by an excellent Finchley defensive contribution.

From the following scrummage Wasps attacked through the middle, a loose ball was fly hacked clear by a Finchley player the ball arrived in Dami’s hands and he was off running, against a slightly disorganised chasing defensive line, he saw a gap, blasted through it and strolled untouched to the line and scored under the posts. Blayne took his time and made sure that the kick was made and Wasps had gone into a fifteen point lead with ten minutes to play. Wasps 15 Finchley 0.

Finchley were now desperate to get on the score sheet and attacked with gusto, several charges were stopped just short on the line and Fullback Ryan made another hold-up tackle on a Finchley second-row as he tried to dive over under the posts.

Finchley were finishing the game on the attack and were rewarded when one of their players dived over to score in the corner. The fact that he dropped the ball as he was tackled was missed, because of the number of bodies in the vicinity, was for Wasps disappointing, as they were trying hard at this stage to keep a clean sheet, but was probably the least that Finchley deserved for their efforts and contribution to what had been a very exciting match. The touchline conversion was missed and the Referee blew the final whistle with the score Wasps 15 Finchley 0.

This had been a good solid performance by the Wasps team who after a very patchy start to the game a whole litany of unforced errors settled down into playing in a controlled and organised fashion. Their Second-half performance in particular will have given them a great deal of pleasure, as they created a number of chances by doing things that they have been practising. On another day this could have been a high scoring game but the Christmas break had obviously given the players from both sides time to think seriously about their defensive duties and hone their skills.

By the end of the game a whole host of Wasps players had put their hats in the ring for the man of the match award through individual pieces of high level performance. However, the panel were unanimous in their decision that Nick Brown for his line-out work on both teams ball, tackling, ball support and turn-over work was the man for all occasions on the day.