HEINEKEN CUP ROUND-UP
London Wasps head coach, Shaun Edwards, has warned his team that they need to lift their game against Leinster next month if they are to stand a chance of progressing to the last eight of the Heineken Cup.
Following their scrappy 19-11 victory over Edinburgh at Adams’ Park on Sunday – a game in which fly-half Dave Walder scored all of the home team’s points – the Guinness Premiership champions are three points behind Pool Two leaders Leinster, who slipped up at Castres on Saturday.
Leinster coach Michael Cheika has called January 17’s Twickenham showdown against Wasps “a final”, and Edwards hopes that his side treat it with such importance. “When the big games come I would like to think we can up our performance levels,” said the 42-year-old.
“At the start of the season we were losing close games and now we are starting to get the right side of these narrow margins now. But we need to up our form for Leinster.”
On Saturday Harlequins’ last-gasp win over Stade Français put them in pole position in Pool Four. Following 29 phases Quins’ All Black No10 Nick Evans managed to squeeze over his drop goal to take Dean Richards’s team to 19-17 and retain their 100 per cent record.
"That was probably the ugliest drop-goal I have hit in my life, but it doesn't matter how they go over – they all count," smiled the 28-year-old who kicked 14 points in all, while centre Jordan Turner-Hall crossed for a try in the first half.
Richards believes that his team can further improve, however. “I thought the whole team showed a huge amount of patience,” said the 45-year-old. “To not give away a penalty or turn over the ball in that final move shows how they have matured.
“It was a fantastic win but there were times when we didn't play as we said we wanted to play and nearly threw away a couple of opportunities. We will take everything from it we can because we have still got to learn from it.”
London Wasps head coach, Shaun Edwards, has warned his team that they need to lift their game against Leinster next month if they are to stand a chance of progressing to the last eight of the Heineken Cup.
Following their scrappy 19-11 victory over Edinburgh at Adams’ Park on Sunday – a game in which fly-half Dave Walder scored all of the home team’s points – the Guinness Premiership champions are three points behind Pool Two leaders Leinster, who slipped up at Castres on Saturday.
Leinster coach Michael Cheika has called January 17’s Twickenham showdown against Wasps “a final”, and Edwards hopes that his side treat it with such importance. “When the big games come I would like to think we can up our performance levels,” said the 42-year-old.
“At the start of the season we were losing close games and now we are starting to get the right side of these narrow margins now. But we need to up our form for Leinster.”
On Saturday Harlequins’ last-gasp win over Stade Français put them in pole position in Pool Four. Following 29 phases Quins’ All Black No10 Nick Evans managed to squeeze over his drop goal to take Dean Richards’s team to 19-17 and retain their 100 per cent record.
"That was probably the ugliest drop-goal I have hit in my life, but it doesn't matter how they go over – they all count," smiled the 28-year-old who kicked 14 points in all, while centre Jordan Turner-Hall crossed for a try in the first half.
Richards believes that his team can further improve, however. “I thought the whole team showed a huge amount of patience,” said the 45-year-old. “To not give away a penalty or turn over the ball in that final move shows how they have matured.
“It was a fantastic win but there were times when we didn't play as we said we wanted to play and nearly threw away a couple of opportunities. We will take everything from it we can because we have still got to learn from it.”
Labels: Dave Walder, Harlequins Rugby League, London Wasps, Nick Evans, Shaun Edwards
