Match report by Dave Farmer
With ‘Spring’ in the air and an excellent surface to play on, neither side could complain about conditions. The addition of a firm official, who was determined to play a fair and extended advantage, made for a competitive game.
Wasps, as unfortunately is becoming a bad habit, were slow out of the blocks, with a number of players appearing to be waiting for a team-mate to make a contribution before becoming involved themselves. This ‘gentlemanly approach’, certainly suited a powerful, lively Datchworth side, who were into their work with a desire and passion from the off. Consequently Wasps were defending for their lives, having to tackle Datchworths Forwards and Centres crashing round the corner or up the twelve channel, a task that Wasps seemed capable of doing and to some extent seemed quite happy to do. During this initial bombardment Aussie Alex, Sam, BJ and Roone’s were leading lights in a defensive structure through the middle and John made two excellent tackles out wide, that seemed to ensure that most avenues were closed. Although under pressure, Wasps line was never really close enough for this direct style of approach play to disturb the Wasps defence, who clearly backed themselves to hold firm.
Datchworth for the first ten minutes had an almost non-stop supply of ball, but by continually going into the same areas were only asking Wasps the same question time and time again. As Wasps were making their tackles they obviously felt that they were effectively in the game.
Wasps problem in these initial exchanges, was that they were dropping ball or being turned over themselves, on the few occasions they did manage to gain possession.
After ten minutes of solid Datchworth pressure they changed their tactic slightly and kicked behind the advancing Wasps defensive line. An apparently simple bouncing ball led to Ryan and John not being on the same wavelength and a ball passed to ground, which an approaching Datchworth attacker gladly picked up and strolled the five metres unopposed to score under the posts, the successful conversion took Datchworth into a fully deserved lead. Wasps 0 Datchworth 7.
The next five minutes saw more of the same, Datchworth in the ascendancy and Wasps holding firm with sold organised defence. Wasps were, however, giving away some penalties, as often happens when you play for long periods of time without the ball. From one such error, for not rolling away in the tackle, Datchworth extended their lead to ten points.
Wasps responded well and soon after the restart released Daniel down the left wing channel, where he made fifty metres before being pushed into touch just as he kicked ahead. However, Datchworth returned to the Wasps end of the pitch and the same attritional pattern began again. Datchworth put a series of short yardage plays together and breached the Wasps line, Aussie Alex made an outstanding defensive tackle, but remained near the ball for too long and was rightly Yellow Carded. The resulting penalty was converted to take Datchworth into an extended lead. Wasps 0 Datchworth 13.
Wasps soon had another sortie into the Datchworth half after another lengthy run by Daniel down the left wing after being released by Ryan. From the ensuing ruck Wasps moved the ball infield and were awarded a penalty, when a Datchworth player made a side entry. Blayne placed the ball between the posts and Wasps were on the score board. Wasps 3 Datchworth 13.
Wasps were at last starting to play their game, they began to put some passes together, made a few off-loads and moved the larger Datchworth Forwards around a bit. From one series of plays Wasps ended up under the Datchworth posts with the last defender diving in and killing the ball. “Yes Wasps did use their feet to remove him.” “Yes I can see how the penalty was reversed.” But your correspondent cannot see why the same Yellow Card sanction was not used. This decision , however seemed to stir some real life into Wasps and their whole demeanor seemed to change.
From the next Wasps attack a Datchworth tackler knocked-on a Wasps pass, advantage was played and John reacted quickest and was away through a gap, he made serious yardage before he made a basketball style pass, over a Datchworth defenders head, just as he was being tackled, to the supporting Blayne who ran in unopposed to score halfway out. He added the conversion to make the score a more respectable Wasps 10 Datchworth 13. As the half-time whistle blew it was anyone’s game.
The second-half started with Wasps on the attack and from a defensive Datchworth scrummage, just inside their twenty-two Rory took a strike against the head, Blayne started straight, made a suggestion of a pass to Sam, who was running an excellent inwards line, and drifted left to stroll through a gap and score under the posts. He added the conversion to take Wasps into the lead. Wasps 17 Datchworth 13.
Wasps were now the dominant team, Nick took a couple of line-outs against the throw. Their scrummage, with Douggie in the ‘vanguard’ were beginning to shove the much larger Datchworth pack off their ball, or at least disrupt it badly enough to cause some degree of consternation in their opponents.
It was therefore no surprise when being caught behind their forwards with a retreating ball Datchworth were penalised and Blayne from nearly forty metres out struck an excellent kick to extend the Wasps lead. Wasps 20 Datchworth 13.
Datchworth at this stage made a spirited comeback and applied some pressure to the Wasps defence, but it was thwarted by another mid-field tackle by BJ, who along with Sam and the Wasps back-row had made this area of the pitch defensively secure.
Wasps forwards were now dominating possession and were invariably in their opponents faces when they received the ball. Kieran was as usual getting through a mountain of hard work, the sort of effort that often goes unnoticed. Liam, who was on for Freddie, made a number of destructive tackles and used his experience to tidy up one or two loose ball situations, Luke was noticeable in the loose with some good carries and Rory and Ryan were active in all phases of the forward platform that the Wasps forwards were now providing. Datchworth were being forced into kicking out of defensive situations under pressure, just as Wasps had been at the start of the game.
From one such pressurised kick, which went straight down the middle of the pitch, Daniel caught the ball in acres of space and set off, he meandered his way through three or four Datchworth defenders before wrong-footing the Fullback to score, what might be the Try of the season under the posts, without a hand being laid upon him. Blayne added the extras to take the score to Wasps 27 Datchworth 13.
Both sides had intermittent attacks as the game moved into its closing stages, Datchworth tried to move the ball wider more effectively but were being tackled whilst standing still by an well disciplined Wasps defensive line, whose line speed had been good all game. In this respect Sam’s heads up approach, to playing what was in front of him was note-worthy. The final whistle blew with the game stagnantly placed in mid-field.
Both sides seemed comfortable with a Referee, who was honest to his pre-match statement of “I will try to play advantage where and whenever possible.” In the context of the game Wasps probably responded to this one factor better than their opponents. But both sides certainly got into the spirit of this style of game, with numerous quick tapped penalties and hardly anyone tackling within the ten metres, as the early Yellow Card had informed both sets of players where they stood if they were mischievous.
Man of the match for Wasps was awarded to Blayne, whose overall contribution was greater than the twenty two points he scored. He was, however, closely pushed by Douggie and Rory, who both made massive contributions to the Forwards efforts on the day against a physically bigger unit.