Comments on: Guinness Premiership final: certainly the end of one career, but could it be the end of another?

By: Rob Watson

Rob Watson — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:29:53 +0000

Well who can say they honestly saw such a howler of a performance coming from Goode eh?! Very surprising, and that was what made the difference.

Speaking as a relative neutral (I say relative because I did want Wasps to win and LD to go out in style)I thought it was a good game and from an England point of view it’s great to see Ellis getting back near his best and strong performances from Haskell and Rees. And if only Simon Shaw was 10 years younger eh?

I should have followed Lol’s example and gone out on a high, but instead this game just made me want to watch more rugby, so on Sunday I watched England v Barbarians. Dear oh dear!

By: Uncle Mat

Uncle Mat — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:45:03 +0000

I agree Justin, this is a potential banana skin for Wasps. If Goode plays well, I think the Tigers will take it. Surprised to see the odds (Wasps 8/11 and Tigers even money – I would make it closer than that). Expect Leicester will use Goode to kick, kick, kick, exploting the potential weaknesses at the back and testing the Wasps often weak line-out. Wasps will have to keep things tight up front and fight for territory, but the Tigers will be up for the fight. May not be the best game we see all year, but definitely the one I am most excited about watching.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:22:49 +0000

Like King Martin Johnson, I have a feeling that Larry Dallally’s swansong party might be gatecrashed by the Tigers. They’ve scraped through the last couple of rounds with some average play, and with their big-game experience have some game winners. Wasps fans might have noted the ominous barn-storming try from Tuilagi which could show him back to form. There is obviously the massive dilemma of no out-and-out fly-half for wasps. Flutey has been the fulcrum of their back-line and to move him back to 10, although the most probable option, would leave an imbalance. Also, when playing at 10 for London Irish not so long ago, he was often prone to the odd self-implosion. Add to that the fact that Wasps really need to slide Van Gisbergen into the starting line-up to have a goal-kicker and you could see the whole back line re-jigged, with Lewsey moving to wing. That would leave a fallability at the back, especially under the high ball – Goode could happily sit back in the pocket and pound howitzers down all day long.

Wasps are by far the form team and have played a level of rugby far higher than Leicester have achieved at the latter end of the season, but I can’t help feel that the Tigers will creep up and pounce on the trophy once again.