History will be kind to me because I intend to write it

CIPRIANI EXCITED AT RETURN AGAINST BATH

Danny Cipriani is itching to hear his name announced over the Adams’ Park Tannoy on Wednesday when, after an absence of four months, he will step out wearing London Wasps’ No10 shirt, as his team host Bath in the Guinness Premiership.

The 20-year-old wunderkind had been expected to be sidelined until November after horrifically dislocating and fracturing his right ankle in May’s semi-final against, ironically, this evening’s opponents.

He missed out on Wasps’ Guinness Premiership success against Leicester Tigers and England’s ill-fated tour to New Zealand, but has been working around the clock to return six weeks ahead of schedule – “quite incredible” according to Ian McGeechan, Wasps’ Director of Rugby.

“I was working from nine in the morning with Prav Mathema, the Wasps head physio, and then in the day with Margot Wells, a sprint coach, before more physio with specialist Kevin Lidlow at nine in the evening,” said Cipriani, who enjoyed an impressive full international debut against Ireland in March.

“I'm glad it is over now and I can't wait to get on the field again – it's going to be emotional. I will have to calm myself as I am just going to be so excited when my name is called before the game.”

The timing couldn’t be better for Wasps who, after registering their first win of the season last Friday against Leicester, sit tenth in the table. Skipper Raphael Ibanez and Tim Payne also return from injury in the front row for Wasps, as does lock Simon Shaw. But second-placed Bath will be most wary of the fly-half’s return – all three times the teams met last year, Wasps won and teetotaller Cipriani scored 36 points.

On playing Bath, he added: “It's a bit strange how coincidence throws these things up, but it'll be good just to get back. It doesn't feel in my head like I have had a major injury – I have
just had a bit of time away from the game.

"But I just want to get back to where I was last season and do so with a smile on my face."

Labels: Daniel Cipriani, Guinness Premiership, Ian McGeechan, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:57 am | Permalink | Comments

CIPS READY FOR COMEBACK

Danny Cipriani cannot wait to complete his miracle comeback on Wednesday night.

The England fly-half returns for London Wasps against Bath - six weeks ahead of schedule following an horrific ankle injury he suffered four months ago against the same opponents.

And Cipriani, 20, believes he will return a better player thanks to his determination, a strict no-alcohol diet and around-the-clock physiotherapy.

That could lead to an England recall for the autumn internationals even though his injury has kept him out of the current Elite squad.

"It would be totally frustrating if I can't get picked for England," Cipriani said. "But I would like to think that if you are playing well enough then the best players will get picked at the time.

"I was working from nine in the morning with Prav Mathema, the Wasps head physio, and then in the day with Margo Wells, a sprint coach, before more physio with specialist Kevin Lidlow at 9 in the evening.

"I'm glad it is over now and I can't wait to get on the field again.

"My strength running is as good as it was last year, and I am yet to do my sprint training. I'm trying to influence the plan and by the end of November I should be quicker than last season."

Wasps head coach Ian McGeechan added: "It's quite incredible how quickly Danny has recovered. The way the whole programme has gone since May has been fantastic.

"And a lot of credit goes to Danny. He is at least where he was at last year now."

Labels: Daniel Cipriani, England, RFU, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:51 pm | Permalink | Comments

LOFFREDA PLEADS FOR MORE TIME AT TIGERS

Marcelo Loffreda has urged the Leicester Tigers board to consider his team’s progress over the past few months before deciding whether to sack him.

The Head Coach, who took Argentina to last year’s World Cup semi-final, has struggled in his first season at Welford Road, but his team scraped into today's final.

But after being outplayed in the first half they went down 26-16 to London Wasps – with rumours circulating that the result of this final would determine his future.

But Loffreda insisted the future could be bright – although he acknowledged it is not his decision.

He said: "I am not happy now - I am very sad. It really hurts to lose the game. But we have to look forward. I think we can do many good things in the future.

"During the months and the games that I have been with the team, I think we have improved.

“I was very happy where things were going. It was tough and we were inconsistent in the beginning, but we began to find our way.

"Leicester have the talent and the players to be great.

"I really don't know if I will be Leicester coach next season. I would love to stay here but I am not the one who has to make that decision."

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Leicester Tigers, Marcelo Loffreda, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 9:04 pm | Permalink | Comments

CORRY ANNOYED AT LETTING WASPS DOMINATE

Leicester Tigers captain Martin Corry conceded that his team were always going to find it hard to come back from 23-6 at the interval, as London Wasps captured their fourth Guinness Premiership title in the past six seasons.

The 34-year-old former England captain dished out a stern half-time team talk, and his troops responded through tries from winger Tom Varndell and scrum-half Harry Ellis to pull back the score to 23-16. But, as fly-half Andy Goode fluffed 10 kickable points, it proved too little too late.

Corry said: “We left ourselves too much to do. Wasps are a side with a much talked about defence and it was always going to make it tough when you have to chase a lead. Everything we said we shouldn't do, we probably did in the first-half.

“We always felt even when went behind that if we can hit our game, and when we hit our game we're a very difficult side to beat. Today summed up the whole season – our problem is that when we don't hit our game we look quite ordinary and when we do we look very dangerous.

“We've got the Guinness Premiership final and we've lost. But we'll show the Leicester spirit and come back better and stronger next season.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Leicester Tigers, Marcelo Loffreda, Martin Corry, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 9:01 pm | Permalink | Comments

DALLAGLIO BOWS OUT ON A WINNING NOTE

Lawrence Dallaglio added one final item of silverware to his glittering 18-year career as he led his beloved London Wasps to a 26–16 victory over old enemy and reigning champions Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership grand final on the hallowed turf of Twickenham.

After a pulsating game, in which momentum swung both ways, the 35-year-old backrow warrior waved a tearful farewell to 81,600 spectators – a world record for club rugby – and collected his sixteenth winners’ medal.

Although he named this final win a career highlight, the No8 wanted to steer attention away from him. “It has been a very special day and I have been very fortunate to have many special days in my career," he said. "But I was always wary that today was about Wasps and playing a game of rugby and a mighty opponent like Leicester and I didn't want to detract from that."

On a stage fitting for one of the finest rugby players in world history to bow out, the two most dominant sides in the English game in the past decade were pitted against each other.

Dallaglio’s team had been as low as tenth in the table, but after losing only twice since October, they looked the team to beat going into the play-offs. And it was the London club who took the early initiative.

They were 10-3 up just after 10 minutes, thanks to flanker Tom Rees’ converted score and a penalty after six minutes by full-back Mark Van Gisbergen. Riki Flutey, more used to playing inside centre, was handed the task of deputising for injured wunderkind Danny Cipriani at fly-half.

The Maori 28-year-old, recently named player of the season by his fellow professionals, assisted by a dominating front eight, soon began to make his touches count. Led by Dallaglio and his superb young backrow colleagues James Haskell and Rees, Wasps tackled, foraged and drove like men possessed.

Before the interval Leicester, skippered by Martin Corry at blindside flanker, became starved of ball and their frustrations began to become costly in the form of Wasps penalties. Three out of three from Van Gisbergen, and a well worked converted try by winger Josh Lewsey took the score to 23-6 at the break.

In the second half Tigers rolled up their sleeves, knowing that the next score was crucial. Their pack – as Dallaglio’s had done in the first half – began to rule the park and Wasps finally buckled under the pressure after 56 minutes. Andy Goode’s cross-field kick was tapped back by Geordan Murphy and, after Lewsey fumbled, touched down by the Premiership’s leading try scorer Tom Varndell.

Fly-half Goode, who laced two penalties in the first half, then missed his first kick of the afternoon with the conversion attempt. Six minutes later scrum-half Harry Ellis got in on the action with a try having broken blind from a scrum to bring the score back to 23-16 and set up an edge-of-the-seat final 15 minutes.

But Goode, who had drop-kicked Tigers into the final, failed again to convert and miscued two further penalties. His missed 10 points turned out to be crucial in what could well be Argentine coach Marcelo Loffreda’s final game.

In response, Van Gisbergen kicked a penalty with eight minutes remaining and Wasps held on for their fourth Premiership title in six years. An emotional Dallaglio, withdrawn to a standing ovation with 13 minutes left on the clock, was quick to praise his team-mates.

The former England captain, who earned 85 international caps and was the only player to feature in every minute of the 2003 World Cup success, said: “I feel this is one of Wasps' greatest achievements and for me it is the only way to finish.

“We were tenth in the table around Christmas time and it's just been a monumental effort by everyone and it's a huge testament to the squad.

“Obviously, when it's your last game, there's a lot of hype which is inevitable. But today wasn't about me, it was a fantastic achievement and it was a fantastic day. I'm very proud.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Lawrence Dallaglio, Leicester Tigers, Marcelo Loffreda, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:51 pm | Permalink | Comments

DALLAGLIO: PLAY-OFFS MUST BE CONTINUED

The Guinness Premiership must persevere with the play-off system if England are to continue producing stars – that is the view of World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio. If change happens then it would leave clubs no choice but to flood the league with foreigners, much like the football Premier League, Dallaglio warns.
The 35-year-old backrower, whose Wasps team contest the play-off final with Leicester, thinks that the current clamour for a change in system is unfair and would be detrimental.

Wasps were in tenth in the league a few months ago, while a number of internationals were not available for selection for the club after representing their countries in both the World Cup and the Six Nations. But they have sneaked into the final after an impressive run – with all internationals back playing domestic rugby – saw them motor up the table.

And if things were to change, whereby the team finishing first would be crowned champions, Dallaglio warned that Wasps would have to adapt their recruitment policy and it would tempt clubs to sign more foreigners rather than nurture young British talent.

He said: “Suddenly everyone is asking: ‘Is there a need for the Premiership to play-offs’ and moaning that we should have a first past the post system?

“The reality is that if you're going to have 12 weeks next season when you have international rugby and such a huge fixture clash, then the play-off system is the only way forward. You can't continue to develop home grown players with a first past the post system under the current structure of the season.

“At Wasps, like many clubs, we endorse and promote as many English players as possible. But there's no doubt that if it was a first past the post system under the current number of internationals we'd have to change our recruitment policy completely.”

Dallaglio, who retires after next Saturday’s final, continued: “People who argue against the play-off system have to temper club rugby with the future health of the England team. There is no argument in my opinion. The play-offs must stay or else clubs will start looking overseas for their players. We don't want to go down the route of football where the balance is 70 per cent overseas players when in rugby it's 30 per cent. That must continue.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:02 pm | Permalink | Comments

DALLGLIO TO COACH AFTER HE RETIRES

Lawrence Dallaglio has said that after he retires from professional rugby he wants to ‘coach at the highest level’ and help his club, London Wasps, to ‘got to a higher level, both on and off the pitch’. The huge backrow forward, 35, is scheduled to bow out in next Saturday’s Guinness Premiership final against Leicester Tigers.

And Dallaglio, who won 85 caps for England, admits that he wants to support Wasps – his only professional club – though he may not coach immediately, as there may not be room! But he believes that if the club are to truly grow then a new Stadium, not Adams Park, which Wasps share with Wycombe Wanderers, is needed.

He said: “I've taken a role as associate director at the club. I want to look back at Wasps and be proud of what they are in future. I want them to be a club that will always provide internationals and win trophies. It would be lovely for me to get involved in the coaching side of things but looking at the quality of coaches here there's not a lot I can offer in the short term. We have great coaches and I'm not going to start moving them around.

“In the future I'd like to coach at the highest level but that's something you have to learn, you have to work at and it's not something I'd expect to walk into. I'll continue to learn and do the coaching qualifications I need to do but in the meantime there are other opportunities I'd like to pursue off the pitch.”

On matters away from the pitch, Dallaglio continued: “We need to raise the revenue and profile of this club to make sure we can compete off the field as well on it. On the field we've been doing a great job and we want to continue attracting the very best players to come here. We want to pay them what we feel they deserve.

“The biggest challenge for us is to find a new stadium and to fill that stadium. There are some big challenges facing us and that's where I feel I can add value to the club. We need to be in control of our own destiny and at the moment that's not the case.

“Any club that owns their own stadium and has the ability to create revenue through commercial means in terms of sponsorship and hospitality has an advantage. We need to up the ante in that respect. That's what we're determined to do. That's the way I see my new challenge and I'll approach that with the same commitment I've shown for the last 18 years on the pitch.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Lawrence Dallaglio, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:59 pm | Permalink | Comments

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.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Josh Lewsey, Lawrence Dallaglio, rugby union, Twickenham, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:45 pm | Permalink | Comments

WASPS VICTORY MARRED BY VICKERY INJURY

London Wasps continued their march up the Guinness Premiership after defeating title rivals Sale Sharks 29-19 at Adams Park. Their seventh straight league win moved them above Sale to fourth – Wasps' highest position this season – but there are concerns over prop and England captain Phil Vickery, who was forced to limp off in the first half with an injury.

The 32-year-old’s right knee buckled under a challenge and, despite bravely attempting to scrummage, he could not continue. Wasps director of rugby, Ian McGeechan, was adamant that Vickery’s injury was not anterior cruciate ligament damage, however.

He said: “Phil got his leg twisted and nobody knows, until he gets it scanned, what damage has been done. It is definitely not acl, we have been told.”

Regardless of Vickery’s setback, McGeechan was pleased with the way in which his team performed on the way to their twelfth consecutive win at home. “The players have worked really hard – credit to them,” he continued. “I am really proud of them.”

Ben Foden scored a try for the Cheshire visitors, while Charlie Hodgson laced 14 points. But home tries from wingers Tom Voyce and Paul Sackey were complimented by 19 kicked points by 20-year-old England fly half Danny Cipriani.

Shaun Edwards, Wasps head coach, praised Cipriani’s performance in particular. “There were some real pressure kicks, but he kicked them," said Edwards. "And it just shows what he is like under pressure.

“I think the more pressure put upon Danny, the better he performs. That is why he is hopefully going to be an international for many, many years.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Phil Vickey, Sale Sharks, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:16 am | Permalink | Comments

WASPS DEFEAT SHARKS BUT VICKERY STUNG

London Wasps continued their charge up the Guinness Premiership and moved to fourth - their highest position of the season - after their 29-19 home win over fellow title challengers Sale Sharks. However their victory celebrations were muted by the injury to prop and England captain Phil Vickery, who limped from the action five minutes before the interval.

He had bravely, if not unwisely, attempted two scrums after his right knee had buckled under the impact of a challenge. His haunting bellow and eventual assisted-exit, and the way in which he unnaturally rocked his knee side to side, suggested that his cruciate ligament had snapped. The 32-year-old's chances of being on the plane for England's June trip to New Zealand now look slim.

Wasps, the form team of the Premiership, will miss Vickery's presence in the imminent business end of the season. But they are making Adams Park something of a fortress - this was their twelfth consecutive win at home, and their seventh straight Premiership victory; the best run in the league by any team this season.

The visiting Cheshire team, who began the game in third, did not make it easy for their hosts, and they were always within touching distance.

It was Sale who opened the scoring thanks to fly half Charlie Hodgson's fourth minute penalty. Tom Voyce replied only three minutes later - the winger intercepted Sale full back Ben Foden's floated pass for a simple score.

England No10 Danny Cipriani added the extra two, as well as a penalty to take the score to 10-3 at the break. Wing Paul Sackey crossed the line following good back hands soon after, to give Wasps 17-3 advantage. And Cipriani's boot did the rest of the scoring.

He amassed 19 points in all to Hodgson, his opposite number's 14. Though Sale, to their great credit, took the game to the wire. Foden made amends for his early mistake by wriggling over, and Hodgson's boot had taken the game to 23-19.

But Wasps held on for a hard-fought victory, though, as Vickery hobbled to the changing room with a heavily strapped right leg, only the club's physio will be able to tell at what cost.

Labels: Charlie Hodgson, Daniel Cipriani, Guinness Premiership, Sale Sharks, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:19 pm | Permalink | Comments

ASHTON IS POOR DECISION-MAKER - PROBYN

Former England prop Jeff Probyn believes that if Brian Ashton’s team are to move forward then 20-year-old No10 Danny Cipriani should be given a starting berth ahead of World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson.

The 51-year-old believes that Wasps’ talented youngster should be afforded a first team shirt against Scotland on Saturday, and not handed a throw-away 20 minutes at the end of a match.

And Probyn, who won 37 caps for his country and appeared in the 1991 World Cup Final, thinks that the fly-half dilemma is just one of the decisions that head coach Ashton has got wrong so far in this year’s Six Nations.

He said: “England did well to beat France but the reality is they have not moved on from the World Cup.

“If we have not advanced then what is the point of having Ashton and his so-called adventurous play?

“Ashton should start Danny now. Just compare the way (French coach) Marc Lièvremont has worked with (21-year-old fly-half) François Trinh-Duc.

“What Lièvremont has done has said: ‘he’s the new boy, he is the kid we want to find out whether he can do it or he can’t’. He knows that he has got David Skrela in the background so if Trinh-Duc can’t do it, he can replace him.

“Ashton, on the other hand, picks Wilkinson and leaves Cipriani on the bench meaning that he only gets 20 minutes when England are going through a small hiatus in terms of their performance.

“That is ludicrous because Danny has to prove that he is worth his England place in the space of 20 minutes just when the team is falling apart.

“If you do want to change the structure for a youngster you should start with the new player and have the experienced one on the bench. And Ashton just hasn’t done that.”

Probyn added: “A number of his tactical decisions have been appallingly bad. For example, when he substituted off captain Phil Vickery – the one person who seemed to have authority – just as Wales were coming back into the game.

“Also Ashton’s midfield is lacklustre to say the least. I would like to see Mathew Tait at full-back as he offers more attacking options.”

Labels: Brian Ashton, Daniel Cipriani, Jeff Probyn, Six Nations, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:47 pm | Permalink | Comments

KING RELISHING WASPS VISIT

Alex King's left boot kicked London Wasps to Heineken Cup victory in May, but on Saturday the 32-year-old will line up against his former team mates as his new club, ASM Clermont Auvergne, host the champions at Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin.

The former England fly-half played at Wasps for 11 years and won ten medals including four Premierships and three European titles, before crossing the Channel in the summer. And King is loving the new challenge in France.

“It has been a fantastically good move me personally and professionally,” he said. “There have been different experiences, I have leant new things and am playing with different players.

“I had an amazing 11 years at Wasps and I still look out for their results – they are the team I love the most in England. But I am now with ASM and my allegiance lies with them.

“I couldn’t have left Wasps at a better time – we had just won the Heineken Cup, so it was a great high to leave on.

“This fixture is something that has been in my thoughts since I joined ASM – it will be very special for me.”

King has informed his new team mates of Wasps’ strategies and tactics, but knows they the visitors possess the class to blow sides away.

He continued: “In the last few weeks Wasps have shown that they have developed as a team. They have a great balance.

“When we have had team meetings here I have told the guys they should be under no illusions: Wasps are a tremendously talented outfit, and they want to defend their trophy.

“I have given Vern (Cotter, ASM’s coach) an idea of how Wasps might play, the strategies Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards might use. I have a huge amount of respect for the coaches at Wasps, and Ian and Shaun are wise old men – I’m sure at they will have a few surprises up their sleeve.”

And in 20-year-old Danny Cipriani, who has stepped into King’s boots, Wasps have a world beater, believes the erstwhile fly-half.

“I have known Danny for a few years,” said King. “When I was at Wasps he was mostly playing full-back, and playing the odd game at fly-half.

“I think it was invaluable for his development at No10 to play in a variety of positions. It gave him a good perspective of the game, and he learned about different positions and the different roles within the team.

“He has really thrived on the responsibility of playing No10 for Wasps this team. His maturity as a player has improved immensely over the last year or so.

“He is lucky in that he has the likes of Riki (Flutey) and Fraser (Waters) outside him, who are playing out of their skin.”

King, who scored 15 points in Wasps’ 25-9 win over Leicester Tigers in the Twickenham final six months ago, thinks that Cipriani will soon replace Jonny Wilkinson in the England team.

“Danny has certainly played some big games over the last month or so,” he added. “He played against Ronan O’Gara when they defeated Munster, and beat Stephen Jones’ Llanelli and Jonny’s Newcastle last week.

“So he’s playing against all the top No10s in the northern hemisphere and he’s doing himself proud. I would be thrilled if he got a chance for England – he was really unlucky to make the world cup squad.

“I think he would have added another dimension to England’s back play. He has all the attributes to be a world class player for a decade. He is doing everything he can to be pushing for England selection.”

Labels: Alex King, Heineken Cup, rugby union, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:19 pm | Permalink | Comments

KING OF THE CHATEAU

Alex King’s left boot kicked Wasps to three consecutive Guinness Premierships and two Heineken cups – the last one being the magnificent 25-9 victory over Leicester in May, when he scored 15 points. But the 32-year-old former England fly-half, who swapped London for Clermont-Ferrand in the summer, is hoping he can repeat the feat at the expense of his old team.

After the dust had settled on the Twickenham final King announced that he would be moving to Clermont Auvergne, where he was offered a one-year rolling contract. After 11 years at Wasps he thought it was right to leave on a high.

Though his new team have never reached the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup, they have started well this campaign, and managed to thump Llanelli Scarlets 42-21 on Sunday, in the competition’s ‘group of death’.

Aside from the Scarlets, King’s team have to play his former side Wasps in December, and winners of two years ago: Munster.

He said: "It was a good result and a great performance by the boys against the Scarlets. It's handy to get a win early on in this very difficult group.

“Wasps are number one seeds and they have been drawn with the second best team in France last year – Clermont - the 2006 champions and Llanelli Scarlets, who are always there or thereabouts in the knockout stages.

“It’s a tough group, but whoever qualifies will be confident of winning the tournament.”

King is enjoying his time at the club, and thinks that the multicultural make-up of the side will reap rewards come the end of the season.

“We are really well managed by coach Vern Cotter,” he continued. “In the three months that I have been here I have seen the impressive team ethos and work culture.

“There is a fantastic blend of rugby cultures from all over the world. We have two Georgians (Goderzi Schvelidze and Davit Zirakashvili – both props) who are brilliant characters; two Argentineans in Martin Scelzo and Mario Ledesma who are fantastic in the front row.

“There are three Fijians and three South Africans. World cup winner John Smit is a really top man. He is going to bring a huge amount to the team.”

King added: “Then you have the staple French guys, the likes of Pierre Vigouroux, Aurélien Rougerie and Julien Bonnaire who hit the highs with France at the World Cup. It is a really good mix and the ambition there from everyone is easy to see.

“We are a very ambitious club, and we want to do something special this year. It is great for me to join a club in France with that kind of ambition.

“To go on a Heineken Cup journey with another team is something that really excites me. It would be a nice Christmas present to beat Wasps, but I’m sure they are thinking the same thing.”

Labels: Alex King, Clermont Auvergne, Heineken Cup, Llanelli Scarlets, rugby union, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:24 pm | Permalink | Comments

REES TO PUT STING BACK IN WASPS’ TAIL

England flanker Tom Rees wants to rid himself of the disappointment of the World Cup by pouring all his energies into kick-starting Wasps’ season after their poor start.

On Sunday Wasps host a Gloucester side firing on all cylinders, in the EDF Energy Cup. The 23-year-old No7 thinks that the sizable challenge will bring out the best in his team whose reinforcements have arrived just in time.

“Gloucester have been flying high,” said Rees. “They have been a strong attacking side for a few years, and now they are adding a real consistency to their game.

“It presents a big challenge for us, and hopefully it will be this big challenge that will pull out a big performance from us.”

The London club have won only once in the Guinness Premiership, while Gloucester, who finished top of the table last season, have begun where they left off and they are the pace-setters after six games.

In the EDF Energy Cup it is all square in their pool – Wasps drew with Newport Gwent Dragons and Gloucester tied with Newcastle Falcons last week.

Heineken Cup champions Wasps have been without World Cup stars Rees, England skipper Phil Vickery, Simon Shaw, Joe Worsley, Josh Lewsey, Laurence Dallaglio and Paul Sackey, as well as Frenchman Rafael Ibanez so far this season.

And Rees is raring to go after a disappointing time in France – he featured in the pool matches against the USA and South Africa, but was not further selected on England’s unlikely journey to the final at the Stade de France.

He said: “It’s very good to be back from France. The World Cup was a fantastic experience but I wasn’t involved on the playing side as much as I would have liked, so it is good for me to be back playing at Wasps against Gloucester to try and back in the swing of things.

“If I’m going to be anywhere near the England team come the Six Nations I am going to have to get back playing well for Wasps.

“It does feel a bit odd coming back when the campaign is already underway – I feel like I’m starting my season now.

“There are guys who are already up to speed, and up and running and have plenty of match practice already. It’s important for us to get back in and get firing, and build our match form up.”

Unlike his international colleagues, Rees did feature for Wasps last week, in their draw with Newport. He was impressed by the performance Riki Flutey, who signed from London Irish in the summer.

“For Riki to come into the team and play slightly differently to how he used to is hard, but he has slotted in really well.

“As a No7 it is important to have a good relationship with your fly-half, and when we played together last week he was talking to me the whole game – it felt like I was the newcomer.”

Rees, who won the man-of-the match award on his first international start against France in March, is positive that Wasps can turn their season around.

“I don’t think we need to push any panic buttons, or change anything drastically,” he added. “I’m convinced that the effort and passion is there in abundance from the lads.

“There are a lot of young guys who are trying to prove their worth. The things that have been lacking are perhaps a cool head at times and that self-belief when things begin to get tough.

“I think that toughness marks out a lot of our senior players – the fact that when the chips are down they are always firing right to the final whistle.

“If these young players could learn just to have that self-belief we will start to close out games. Once we build up that confidence we will be fine.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, rugby union, Rugby World Cup, Tom Rees, Wasps

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