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Wasps Online video Rating: 5 / five

WASPS SECURE HOME TIE

Wasps ensured their quarter final tie in the Challenge Cup will be played at Adams Park following a late surge to secure a bonus point victory.

The Londoners capped a victory over French minnows Bordeaux with a bonus point thanks to two tries in the final ten minutes. Wasps ran out 36-13 victors in the end and have been drawn at home to Biarritz in the Quarter finals of Europe’s secondary competition, a tie which five years ago could easily have been at the business end of the Heineken Cup.

Wasps have impressed in their European campaign this year, winning five of their six games and taking four bonus points on the way. They top their group and as one of the better performing group winners were awarded the importance of a home tie in the Quarters.

Wasps went into the game knowing they needed a win to ensure they made it through to the next stage and that only a bonus point would enable them to avoid a trip to Stade Francais, which was surely a trip they would be eager to avoid in their quest to advance to at least the semi finals.

Wasps went for the bonus point from the off and ran in two first half tries through Elliot Daly and Joe Simpson after impressive solo runs of 30 and 50 metres. A disappointing kicking display from Ryan Davis was the only reason the game wasn’t in the bag by half time but it was his kicking that eventually allowed them to secure a comfortable lead in the second half. But it was their desire to secure a winnable home tie in the quarters that kept them going and like the week before it was a late flurry that gave them the result they desired.

The Biarritz game at Adams Park on Easter weekend will be a chance for Wasps to give their disappointing season a boost and something for their fans to enjoy.

BIRKETT MAKES 250

One of Britain’s best known rugby clubs is the London Wasps. It has produced greats such as Lawrence Dellaglio, Alex King, Joe Worsley and Simon Shaw. One thing that these players have in common is that they have all played in over 250 matches for the side. Another very well-known player will soon reach that milestone. This player is Richard Birkett.

Birkett’s milestone will put him alongside some of the biggest names in the rugby world. Birkett joined the club in 1999, and his 250th match will be against the Bordeaux Begels in the European Championship. When asked about how he felt to be playing for the 250th time in a club t-shirt, Birkett said that he never thought his association with the club would last this long. He added that the bruises had been added over the years, but that it had also been immense fun representing one of the biggest clubs in the country.

In his 249 games to date, the club has won every major conceivable title like the Heineken Cup, Premiership, etc. When quizzed about his most memorable game for the club, Birkett said that it was the match against Munster in the Heineken Cup. The match was held at Lansdowne Road and was the semi-final. The Wasps won it 32-37.

The next match for the club will be against the French side, the Bordeaux Begels, in the quarter finals of the European Challenge Cup. The team management has made four changes to the side in a bid to defeat the French side. Dom Waldouck will play in place of Riki Flutey, who is out with a muscle strain. Nic Berry, at scrum-half has been benched and he will be replaced by Joe Simpson. Other than Birkett, the match will also be a memorable occasion for Tim Payne, who will make his 50th European appearance.

Rugby FanCast interview with Wasps duo Rob Webber and Elliot Daly

Wasps Online video Score: / 5

WASPS READY FOR LEICESTER

This weekend Wasps take on Leicester. Just a few years ago this would have been a mouth watering top of the table clash. But since Wasps won the Premiership in 2008, defeating Leicester in the final, the two clubs have taken very different paths. Leicester’s defeat of Sale put them in the top four, yet again a position they have seemingly been in since the dawn of the professional era. Wasps on the other hand are languishing at the other end of the table, on the verge of a relegation dog fight.

Since winning the league just three and a half years ago Wasps have seen a whole host of internationals leave the club and they have lost their ability to attract the big names without breaking the bank. It was this ability that allowed them to keep hold of Dallaglio, Ibanez, Vickery and many others despite lacking the financial powers of the big French teams or the likes of Saracens.

This downfall at Adams Park has forced their owner, Steve Hayes, to put the club up for sale. Whilst there has been talk of interest from the Middle East and others there has been no real, solid interest. The club is now making a loss of £2million a year and it appears that it will take real investment to turn around these once giants of European rugby.

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Mucky Ducks v London Wasps – Part 2

Wasps Video Rating: 5 / 5