Anglo Welsh Cup - 15 November, 2009
Wasps 21 - Gloucester 14
Same old Glaws: lots of spirit but undone by daft errors
Cir Mhor Reports
We now know that Freddie Burns isn’t the new Messiah…yet. Until he went off injured he was the focal point of this game, scoring both of Glaws’ tries – the second you can rate as brilliant or the softest thing you’ll ever see, you decide – and then gifting Wasps the one that got them back into the game. He’s a rough diamond – some of his kicking from hand was seriously dodgy – but there was also a lot of the Ryan Lamb about him, although he’s bigger and tackles much, much better. It would not surprise me in the slightest if he was our starting 10 by the end of the season.
The reality of this game, however, was that it was very poor fare. Two very moderate sides contesting a competition that no-one’s getting too worked up about. We’re out of it now so we can field two Academy sides in the New Year and give the First XV players a rest.
This was the proverbial game of two halves: in the first we were the better of two poor teams, and then Wasps woke up, brought on some first teamers and overwhelmed us. Even if the score hides the fact, we were slaughtered in the second half, and only some spirited stuff from our boys, and some blunders from Pests kept us within reach. Having said that, if you give away two daft tries as we did, then you don’t deserve to win games.
We started well, and Freddie Burns looked the business – yes, he made kicking errors, but he has vision, bags of confidence, and a good pass - if he ever gets to play a scrum-half who can give fast, flat delivery, he’ll be even better (by the way, Wasps’ Warren Fury makes Rory Lawson look swift!). His first try came from close range when he darted through the Wasps defence, dummying as he went, and his second, right after the interval, was a peculiar affair. He put through a chip kick, Varndell made a hash of it, Burns kicked on and scored. I know it’s not a nice thing to say, but I did enjoy Varndell’s discomfiture!
Sadly, Glaws then lost the plot. Joe Simpson came on and immediately lifted Wasps – what wouldn’t we give to have someone with his flair in a Glaws shirt. Burns tried the chip through again, but this time it was Simon Shaw who caught it, spun it left and bloody Varndell scored - I’ve never thought he was a team player and it was typical that he dotted it down and didn’t try to get nearer to the posts. The next Wasps try was just inept: our new hooker threw it so far over the line-out that Simpson simply caught it and strolled over.
After that Wasps were unremarkable but efficient, taking a couple of penalties and getting well on top. Scott Lawson went to the bin, but it wasn’t indiscipline as much as the inevitable response to heavy and relentless pressure. We huffed and puffed, but rarely got near Wasps 22. A word about big Will James: he’s dropping simple passes in every game now and it’s becoming a standing joke amongst supporters – I’m afraid that he starting to drift into the liability category.
Olly Morgan and Nick Wood did well enough and it was good to have them back, even if the former took the role of pantomime villain when he misjudged a high ball by so much that he never even got off the ground, and annihilated the Wasps full-back! The Adams Park mob bayed for a red card, but the referee got it right in my view when he judged it to be inept and in no way malicious (mind you, that didn’t save Charlie Sharples, did it?). Both Morgan and Wood were then taken off – if it was BR looking after them after injury then that’s fine by me, but, if it’s as I suspect and Johnno’s floundering regime wants them for next weekend, then it’s a sorry state of affairs for Glaws, and would yet another indicator of the national team’s total disarray.
Burns injury didn’t look too serious, but who knows with Attwood’s – he’d been feeling his ribs for some time before eventually going off. If he joins the sick list then it would be a major blow, as along with Doran-Jones he’s been a revelation this season.
So, same old Glaws: lots of spirit but undone by daft errors – when and how will this end? |
