LEWSEY ON LEICESTER TIGERS
Josh Lewsey has compared London Wasps’ Guinness Premiership play-off final clash with Leicester Tigers next Saturday as being the equivalent of Manchester United taking on Chelsea – the two top teams in the sport going head-to-head on the greatest stage.
Wasps have won three out of the last five Premiership titles, while the Tigers defeated Gloucester in last year’s final.
And Lewsey, 31, believes that at Twickenham Wasps will not miss neither star No10 Danny Cipriani nor try-scoring winger Tom Voyce – both injured in last Sunday’s 21-10 semi-final win over Bath.
He said: “It’s ironic after what happened between Man United and Chelsea on Wednesday, but there are certain moments in sport which are identified by great rivalries. Leicester and Wasps provide that in the northern hemisphere in rugby and there is a lot of respect between the two clubs.
“To come up from seventh to reach the play-offs, and then to get to the play-off final, speaks volumes for Leicester’s mental toughness of their players and the club set up. Despite what people say about their season, Leicester have done admirably well to pull themselves from being on the brink of not being involved in Europe.
“They have a lot of guys who have a lot of character there. But so have we here at Wasps. That’s why you have a sell-out crowd of 80,000 people coming to Twickenham to watch the two top club sides in the country battling it out for a trophy.”
And on retiring 35-year-old back row hero, Lawrence Dallaglio, Lewsey added: “On the field Lawrence will have to deliver the goods – he will not take his eyes off the prize. Winning the game is the only thing that matters, even if it’s not what the crowd want.
“Leicester have had the rub of the green a couple of times this season. We beat them at Welford Road for the first time in my career though, so honours are even really and it’s all to play for. It should be another close, good game of rugby.”
Josh Lewsey has compared London Wasps’ Guinness Premiership play-off final clash with Leicester Tigers next Saturday as being the equivalent of Manchester United taking on Chelsea – the two top teams in the sport going head-to-head on the greatest stage.
Wasps have won three out of the last five Premiership titles, while the Tigers defeated Gloucester in last year’s final.
And Lewsey, 31, believes that at Twickenham Wasps will not miss neither star No10 Danny Cipriani nor try-scoring winger Tom Voyce – both injured in last Sunday’s 21-10 semi-final win over Bath.
He said: “It’s ironic after what happened between Man United and Chelsea on Wednesday, but there are certain moments in sport which are identified by great rivalries. Leicester and Wasps provide that in the northern hemisphere in rugby and there is a lot of respect between the two clubs.
“To come up from seventh to reach the play-offs, and then to get to the play-off final, speaks volumes for Leicester’s mental toughness of their players and the club set up. Despite what people say about their season, Leicester have done admirably well to pull themselves from being on the brink of not being involved in Europe.
“They have a lot of guys who have a lot of character there. But so have we here at Wasps. That’s why you have a sell-out crowd of 80,000 people coming to Twickenham to watch the two top club sides in the country battling it out for a trophy.”
And on retiring 35-year-old back row hero, Lawrence Dallaglio, Lewsey added: “On the field Lawrence will have to deliver the goods – he will not take his eyes off the prize. Winning the game is the only thing that matters, even if it’s not what the crowd want.
“Leicester have had the rub of the green a couple of times this season. We beat them at Welford Road for the first time in my career though, so honours are even really and it’s all to play for. It should be another close, good game of rugby.”
Labels: Guinness Premiership, Josh Lewsey, Lawrence Dallaglio, rugby union, Twickenham, Wasps
