This weekend sees Leicester Tigers host their new local enemies from down the road, Wasps. What is already a highly-fuelled derby has been re-invented after Wasps’ move to Coventry; and there is a definite buzz of anticipation in the Midlands.
Leicester Tigers v Wasps : M69 Clash Shifts Old Rivalry Up a Gear
Leicester have accelerated up the table in recent times, having comfortably shrugged off the London Welsh challenge, while Wasps’ good run stalled at the hands of Exeter last Saturday. This forthcoming battle should certainly be exciting, nerve-racking, and intense, while the welcome from the Tigers fans certainly won’t be warm, as they host their Midlands counterparts for the first time.
The rivalry between these teams began only in 2005, but was rapidly ignited into the season’s pinnacle for both sides within only a few years, mainly down to the fact that these two teams dominated England and Europe at the time. This article will map some of the most intense collisions between the two sides.
Leicester Tigers 14-39 London Wasps, Twickenham Stadium, 2005
The climax to the 2005 Zurich Premiership season saw the season’s most outstanding teams come together at Twickenham. It was the finale for two Leicester legends, Martin Johnson and Neil Back, while Wasps coach Warren Gatland also bade farewell.
From the off, Wasps were the dominant team, and they cruised to victory thanks mostly to the metronomic boot of Mark Van Gisbergen, who kicked 21 points and also touched down for a try. Just weeks before Leicester had dispatched Wasps 45-10, yet they stuttered on the day, and revenge was dished out very coldly indeed by London Wasps. It truly was a day to forget for Tigers fans.
Leicester Tigers 9-25 London Wasps, Twickenham Stadium, 2007
The first and only ever all-English Heineken Cup final saw London Wasps defeat a nervous Leicester again. A tight first-half finished with the score at 13-9 to Wasps, due to a try from Eoin Reddan, and an exchange of penalties between Andy Goode, then of Leicester, and Alex King.
However, only one side turned up in the second-half, scoring 12 crucial unanswered points to seal an historic victory once more. Again, Tigers fans are still sour, as a win for them would have sealed the treble. Instead they had to be satisfied with just Premiership and Anglo-Welsh titles that year!
London Wasps 26-16 Leicester Tigers, Twickenham Stadium, 2008
Only a year later, Wasps sunk the Leicester ship again. A world-record crowd of 81,600 turned up for the Guinness Premiership showpiece, and to see Lawrence Dallaglio bow out ; ending his glittering 15-year career with London Wasps. And what a farewell it was. Wasps again stole the show, this time with a powerful first-half performance from which Tigers never really recovered. The teams went in for the break at 23-6, yet a try each from Harry Ellis and Tom Varndell (then of Leicester) were not enough as Tigers couldn’t claw their way back. For the third final in four years, Wasps had severely stung the Tigers.
Former Wasp Josh Lewsey spoke of the Leicester-Wasps rivalry back in 2011:
“For a while, Wasps and Leicester were the two of the most dominant and successful clubs…I would have to say that those finals (in 2007 and 2008) were highlights.”
Whilst in recent times, these games haven’t had as high stakes as they did in those years, the game this weekend, on Saturday, KO 3pm, will harbour some of that old bite, due to the new circumstances of the locality of the two teams. There seems to be no favourite; both sides have blown hot and cold this season, but it is a big opportunity for one team to get a much needed four points, and to strike another blow against the old enemy.
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