Resurgent Wasps target top four Premiership Rugby finish

The start of the 2019/20 season was a rough time to be a Wasps fan. There had been a continued exodus of players from the squad that finished second in 2017, departing amid a wage dispute. While new talent had been brought in to replace them, a lack of squad cohesion led to Wasps languishing in tenth place.

Following the exit of longtime coach Dai Young, Wasps experienced a resurgence and a return to form. A series of strong results meant that, by the Covid break, Wasps sat at a much improved fifth place. Furthermore, Wasps have carried this impressive form on since the restart and are now second place, with their last two results being a record-breaking thrashing of local rivals Leicester Tigers and a 13-try thriller against fellow semifinal hopefuls Bristol.

While all sports teams have in form periods, this dramatic change and resurgence to the top spots of the league is the result of a young side learning to play effectively with each other and play as a team rather than a collection of players.

Though club legends such as Joe Launchbury and Jimmy Gopperth certainly function as foundations to the side, the recent success of Wasps is thanks to younger players growing into the squad. There are three standout players, in this case, the Italian fullback Matteo Minozzi, fly-half Jacob Umaga and flanker Jack Willis.

Willis has been the standout player of the Premiership since the restart

These younger players have performed more comfortably in their positions under the new leadership of Lee Blackett compared to the outgoing Dai Young. Minozzi may not have scored a point since February at full-back but has been able to fulfil the defensive duties of the position, an area which Wasps have struggled in.

Willis has been the standout player of the Premiership since the restart, winning Premiership Player of the Month for August. Over the course of the season, he has won Wasps 39 turnovers at the breakdown, the most of any Premiership player by a margin of 20. This newfound emphasis of the breakdown has greatly improved Wasps’ defensive ability. Willis has even outperformed several England internationals in his position, most recently Lewis Ludlam.

Umaga has complemented Wasps’ infamous backline and solved the issue of attacking plays not connecting properly to the wingers. Umaga may not be the finished article, he struggles to score points from the boot, but he is proving himself to be a strong nucleus for the backs to form themselves around.

It is possible that Wasps’ opponents could field weaker squads to rest key players

Another element to Wasps’ success, though slightly out of their control, is the lack of European fixtures. Poor performances at the start of the season led to an early exit of the Challenge Cup, and the consolidated list of fixtures to finish the season after the Covid restart has left many sides struggling for players.

With only Premiership fixtures to worry about, Wasps have not had the issue with injuries or selection that sides such as Northampton, Harlequins or even Exeter have been forced to face. This will prove to be especially pertinent in the final two fixtures for Wasps, Harlequins away and Exeter at home.

Both of these games are a must-win for Wasps if they are to achieve a place in the semi-finals. With the two other teams still in the European competitions, it is possible that Wasps’ opponents could field weaker squads to rest key players.

Wasps can only hope to end this season with the newfound form they have developed throughout the course of the season. A top-four finish would be a good result considering the early season troubles they suffered, reaching the final would certainly be the icing on the cake.