Wasps' Renaissance and Dai Young's influence...

Hi all,

I've been watching a lot of Wasps games this year and been really impressed with much of what i've seen, a powerful pack and inventive backs playing at pace. I wanted to ask people, especially Wasps fans, two questions.

1. How close do you think we are to seeing Wasps fighting it out for silverware?
2. How much of their resurgence this year do you think is down to Dai Young?

For my mind, he's obviously made some great decisions, particularly in some of his signings, but has he left holes still to plug? And how much of Wasps' form should simply be attributed to the players?

I was thinking of component parts of the Wasps game and Young's influence and saw it as follows:

Signings and squad balance - Dai's signed Haskell, Poff and Johnson, creating a dynamic backrow capable of competing with just about anyone. I think Stephen Jones is beginning to justify his signing as well. Probably on a fair whack but the cover looks handy, will he help bring Bell through as well? However, although the scrum has improved, it's still nowhere near good enough. Should Young have looked at a top-notch tight-head instead of a star studded back-row?

Squad rotation - Lots of the players appear to play week in week out, but there also seems to be a fair amount of rotation. I'm not sure if this is to keep players fresh and hungry or a result of injury. But it seems to be working. Any thoughts?

Squad development - Launchbury, Daly, Wade, Vunipola - all seem to have kicked on massively under Young. They've also all got game-time which helps. But it's difficult to attribute this solely to Young. Some players simply kick on, and from what i've heard Vunipola's improved fitness was largely a result of hard work in the off season away from the club (not sure if he was told to do so). However, what really impressed me is the older players that seem to have kicked on. Wasps fans may put me right, but one player in particular i thought this of is Cannon. To me he previously looked like a beanpole with a poor work-rate. But this year he's running the lineout when Wentzel's not on, and seems to put in a real shift and be much more vocal. Surely Young must take some of the credit for this?

Deadwood - Do players like Payne provide depth or are they now just clogging up the bench? Could Young streamline some of the positions to get in a really good quality prop? Payne can't be on poor money.

Other coaches - How much credit should go to the other coaches at Wasps? I remember thinking Young did a decent job at the Blues but perhaps had taken them as far as he could. Has the new role galvanised him?

Other - I'm still not convinced by Southwell as captain. Good solid pro and organiser, but every game he seems to make one big mistake like kicking out on the full. Also, should the captaincy go to a forward?

Apologies for rambling, but any thoughts?

Lots of questions, most of which I'm not best placed to answer, but a few things I'll say are...

Haskell & Poff were signed before Dai arrived.

One of the best signings I think he's made is Masi, who adds nice structure to the midfield and allows them to get the most from their outside backs.

A headline TH would be great and on everyone's shopping list, but not many of them about, particularly for Wasps given the state they were in last year. Staibano wasn't a poor signing at all though, and Swainston is a young player that can definitely be developed into a more than decent player under him. Likewise McIntyre on the other side under Taulafo & Payne (who yes should really be edging out now, but I'm not so sure he's on that much anymore and he's probably got a lot to teach the young lads mentioned above, plus Hepburn & Taylor). And with the financial constraints Wasps have, I think developing the young options they have rather than making big signings is the way they want to go, and probably the correct more longterm choice.

I think Wasps' improvements in the scrum can solely be put down to Dai Young.
Trevor Woodman had been there for a while before Young came along and we were still woeful up front, therefore I feel that it is certainly Dai's influence that has helped there.

Although Payne is no-one's favourite prop, he has been like a different player this year. I wouldn't go as far to say that he's mobile, but he certainly seems to get around more than he used to. On top of that, his scrummaging also seems to have got better over the last couple of years.
Given the experience he has from England (was he also on a Lion's tour?) I think he has a lot to teach the younger props.


I think it was important to massively strengthen the back row.
Historically, that has been one of Wasps' strengths, but unfortunately recently we'd been very weak there.
The rotation of Haskell, Billy V, Poff, Johnson and Jones has been working very well, especially as Haskell and Jones can play a number of positions across the back row.
Obviously, there's also a Launchbury who can happily play there too.
Suddenly we're back in a position where we can match or beat some of the best back rows in the game.


Wasps game plan is based all around pace.
Simpson, Daly, Wade, Varndell are ridiculously fast, and pace will cause anyone problems.
When you add the strength of Masi, and the tactical / control ability from Stephen Jones, you've got a backline capable of anything.

And that's where Southwell comes into it.
There's a lot of Scottish fans that are glad he's now nowhere near the national team... maybe that's been the best thing for him.
He often seems like the glue that holds the backline together.
He's solid under the high ball, has a reasonable kicking game, and a ton of experience.
With opposition defences worrying about Daly, Wade and Varndell, Southwell can join an attack with a good line and break the gain line.

I'm really happy with him as our full back, and he has a good record as our Captain.


The important things for the future are:
Tommy Bell to become a quality FH under S.Jones tutorlage
All our kids to stay (lindsay, launchbury, vunipola, simmo, daly, wade etc)
A class tighthead (although I quite like Swainston)

If we can achieve the first 2 of those, I think you'll see Wasps at the right end of the table for a few more seasons.
Even in our hey-day, we never had the best front row (although I'd love to have a young Craig Dowd back)

Young made an instant impact on the scrum, and they have continued to improve this season. I suspect they'd still struggle slightly against Tigers, Saints, Quins and Sarries in that Department though.

However, with really strong line-out, a backrow which is a match for anyone, and probably the best set of running backs in the AP they certainly have a puncher's chance if they make the play-offs and the ground is hard. They are fast becoming a properly good side.

So a combination of having a good squad, good coaching and much better luck with injuries seems to be what's driving their success. Having an outstanding academy and being prepared to give players a chance also helps.

It's the first full season that Wasps have been Dai's team. The scrum has been better than for a good few years. TRT and Lindsay are very aggressive 2s and both know their way to the try line.

Our back row + replacments are a match for any club in the AP. And in Wentzel and Launchbury, we have two great line out operators.

This has all happened since Dai took over.

Plus he still knows what to do with a foaming

And doesn't whinge about refs

And a new broom sweeps clean.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but you are right about props, that was his failing in the Blues.

I think bringing Dai Young in definitely brought some stability to the club & although we already had some outstanding youngsters it would have been easy for them to look elsewhere.

Dai has said he had trouble recruiting players because of the off field turmoil & he did well to bring in the players he did given everything around him was out of his control.

Hopefully the young lads mentioned above will stay with Wasps who apparently are shortly announcing a major new investor(s).

Cardiff blues, fans, didn't seam to rate Dai Young, or was it he was jumping a sinking ship, I can't remember.

Anyway its good to see Wasps moving back up, will the major new investor sort out the ground problems? or are Wasps now happy to stay in Adams Park, or will the investors look to move them?

Ironically i think last seasons struggles...which forced them to blood so many of those youngsters has played a big part in their revival. A lot of talented youngsters got alot of rugby they definately wouldnt have had they not had all those injuries.

They have now balanced that youth with some really top class experience...Stephen Jones, Southwell having an influence, Haskell, Ashley Johnson (wasnt he captain of the Cheetahs?) etc...and its working nicely.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Dai young, he seemed to be a bit awkward in front of the cameras, wasn't very apologetic enough and didn't seem to be the most tactically aware, and thats why I think most people didn't rate him at the Blues.

However in that last season at the Blues our paths seemed to cross quite a bit and I can tell you I have never seen a top coach/manager work as hard.

I remember talking to him before the Tolouse game, the Blues were kicking off at 6/7? and at 12.00 he was at Bedwas having a chat with a certain few players, giving a helping hand to coaches, funniest thing is Bedwas was not his region! He then popped up in Ponty a few hours later to view a player and try to help build relationships before heading back to the MS to take control of the Blues... who won by the way.

It was also clear that the Blues scrum was over performing at times, seeing Gethin Jenkins go from looking destructive on the club stage, to being near humiliated weeks later was not fun! Also of the Blues regulars the one I feared losing the most was Thomas, and he was soon taken with to Wasps and has been fantastic. Then the loss of Rees and Yapp really highlighted what Young had put together at the Blues, and as they say you never know what you've got till it's gone!

I think most Blues fans would kill to have young back!

We've talked too soon, gutted to see Vunipola off to the stodge-merchants.!

I didn't realise Haskell and Poff were signed before Young came, cheers for putting me right on that hawalsh