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The Voice From the Stands
September 22 2008
No sooner has the new season started than we are already looking ahead to the November internationals, and the effect they may or may not have on the domestic leagues.
Not much was made of Nick Mallett's squad, as we all know he is yet to add players from the Guinness Premiership. So by the time Italy trot out to face Australia they should - stranger things have happened in rugby - have a half decent side.
The squad that has caught my attention the most is Frank Hadden's Scotland squad - which consists of fifty players. That is, in essence, everyone from Glasgow and Edinburgh, with ten Guinness Premiership based players tossed in for good measure. Or should that be for good quality?
But that said even those ten players didn't show for the first session of the season - lucky for them they had the excuse of their clubs not releasing them. That said all ten should be shoe-ins for the coming season, leaving the other forty players to fight it out for 12 matchday places.
It's a good job clubs have control over their players, or else every time this squad trained together fixtures would have to be cancelled. Glasgow v Edinburgh could still go ahead though, albeit in the guise of a Scotland training session - you can picture it now, played on Murrayfield's back fields and Frank Hadden in the middle as ref.
Now forgive me if I am being pessimistic, but I struggle to see how Wasps' season is going to get any better in the coming weeks.
Saturday's 24-20 defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Northampton marked their worst ever start to a league campaign - for those who want the finer details, that is the worst start in the last 21 years.
And with a trip to Welford Road on Friday, followed by Bath at home, Harlequins away and Sale at home it could be that Wasps' first real hope of a victory will be at the back end of November when they travel to Kingston Park to take on Newcastle.
Leicester are a different team under Heyneke Meyer, and while they are still adapting to his ways, should fancy a home win over a depleted Wasps outfit. Maybe, just maybe, if Butch James has a bad day with the boot, again, Wasps may sneak a win against the west country boys, but don't bank on it.
Quins, who slipped to their first defeat of the season at Gloucester on Saturday, will also fancy taking Wasps, especially given they hold home field advantage. Sale, along with the Tigers, are the only side with three wins from three, admittedly they have only scored one try, but again they will feel they have the beating of Wasps.
You may want to note that Leicester and Bath aside, the remaining fixtures will fall when Wasps are without their international contingent. If they are this bad with them one can only imagine how bad things could soon become.
Which brings us to the Newcastle game, which even at this early stage of the season could already be billed as a six-pointer in the relegation battle. I hear the counter-arguments; early season slump, ELVs, Wasps will only get better, and so on and so on.
But will they really get better? Just like winning, losing is a habit and the longer they remain winless the lower confidence will get at Adams Park. The bigger worry here is what comes at the end of the season: the Lions tour.
Ian McGeechan has already been appointed Head Coach, and if we are to believe everything we read the chances are Shaun Edwards will be going with him. Then there are the England players Wasps provide, although at this rate few will be wearing the England rose anytime soon. It leaves you wondering what kind of state the Lions will be in when they depart for South Africa.
There is a long way to go yet, but early season form, of both coaches and players at Adams Park, is not looking good for the months that lie ahead.
Speaking of the Lions don't forget to check out our 'Lions Watch', and give us your thoughts on what you think the side should be - based on current form.