Being a London Wasps supporter for the last 10 years, I have definitely seen and been through the highs and lows with the club and also have witnessed some amazing rugby. Over the past few weeks, I have certainly seen some ‘interesting’ games of rugby that have opened my eyes to what a club like London Wasps is all about, and have shown that London Wasps future is a bright one.
My opinions about every player and coach that we’ve had over the years have been honest and clear. I think Dai Young is doing a fantastic job with the club despite a few injury setbacks such as Christian Wade and Tom Varndell. With the squad, Dai is bringing in a lot of quality young guns from the academy, and giving the younger members of the senior team more game time.
Having Tom Howe coming in from the academy and playing with the senior team has definitely brought some extra ‘spice’. Playing wing is a difficult position to play due to the demanding amount of fitness and stamina, but I believe Howe has brought both of these aspects into the game and has definitely proved his worth to be in the senior squad.
In his early 20’s, Josh Basset has a lot to prove as player. But watching games that he has played in, he has certainly proven that he is going to be a great talent. What he has brought into the team is his ability to move around defenders, and the use of long legs has helped him to get from one end of a pitch to the other.
Being an academy player, Will Rowlands has definitely shown coaches and supports his potential. Being a lock, it is a difficult position to play being in the heart of the scrum but in the matches that he has played in for the academy and the senior squad, he is definitely one to watch in the future. He brings height into the squad, which is very useful in lineouts of course.
With our more experienced players like James Haskell, there has been added help in the development of the younger players. Towards the end of this current season, James has certainly proven to Dai Young and the rest of the team that he’s worthy of the captaincy for next season. I feel that having James Haskell as captain will help get the club back to where it belongs–at the top. He brings stability and much needed experience.
Not to be overlooked is the amazing talent and speed of Tom Varndell, Christian Wade and Joe Simpson. Joe Simpson brings to the squad his incredible ability to move around most defenders (his height is very handy for this) and dive into positions where he can make the most amazing runs. He also copes under the enormous pressure of big games by making crucial split second decision. Sprinting is one of my personal hobbies, and watching Tom Varndell and Christian Wade to alive in matches is very exciting. What these two players bring into the squad and the Wasps community is their ability to defeat defenders and help set up or even score spectacular tries. They also bring their amazing team-work into every game they play together. Over the past three seasons, Varndell and Wade have shown that they can work out what each other is thinking when it comes to scoring a try. This is because they can go to the side of the pitch that one of them is on and help each other to get to the important white line in the game.
With this leadership and experience in key positions, Wasps will once again be a force to be reckoned with. Come 6th September, London Wasps will be ready to take on the challenge of a newly promoted team and the top six: Saints, Quins, Tigers, Saracens, Exeter and Bath.
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