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'We know they are going to come after us... last time we got beaten up'

(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Assistant coach Ian Costello has Wasps on red alert ahead of their likely bruising rematch with East Midlands rivals Leicester, who physically beat them up in a feisty Gallagher Premiership encounter 15-and-a-half weeks ago that featured three red cards.

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Leicester duo Jasper Wiese and Hanro Liebenberg were red-carded by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys, but the Tigers were unstoppable in their 27-8 win against a Wasps XV that lost Kieran Brookes to a red card after half-time.  

Wasps managed just 26 per cent territory and 33 per cent possession in a Premiership derby where they also lost out 19-10 on the penalties conceded tally, and they were further criticised by Steve Borthwick for how vocal they allegedly were in the stands in calling for the Wiese red card. Now Wasps are meeting their nemesis four months later with a Heineken Champions Cup qualification place up for grabs.

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Just three points separate the sixth-place Leicester from the ninth-place London Irish, with Newcastle in tenth two points further behind heading into the final round of fixtures that will determine the league’s top-eight finishers who will qualify for the top tier European tournament. 

Lying in seventh with 48 points, Wasps are hosting Leicester who are just a point above them on 49 and whoever loses next Saturday will leave themselves vulnerable to potentially being overtaken on the table by the teams below – the 47 points Bath, who host Northampton, the 46 points Irish, who travel to Bristol and the 44 points Newcastle, who are at Harlequins.  

Wasps grabbed a last-gasp, clock-in-the-red win at London Irish last Saturday and they will now look to seal the qualification deal by putting one over Leicester in what will be defence coach Costello’s final match for the club before he heads back to Ireland to become academy manager at Munster.

“With Leicester, you know what is coming, they are very, very physical, excellent set-piece, really dominant ball carriers, very similar to London Irish and the way they play it (last weekend). We have had a little bit of a trial run and hopefully, it will be Wasps Part II.

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“For us, it will all be about being physical, it’s all about meeting them on the gain line. We know it will be one of the most physical games we have played all season. We know they are going to come after us and we are preparing emotionally and mentally and physically for that.

“And we just need to be simmering under the surface, ready to go for Saturday and then hopefully there is the added benefit of having your own home support. We let ourselves down badly the last time we played, we got beaten up. This is no hiding from that and we know that is how it is going to start and probably end on Saturday, to be honest.”

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Nickers 27 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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