Wasps lost last season’s Premiership final to Exeter two minutes from the end of extra time when they were penalised for collapsing a scrum and, at a time when sides are looking to play with more adventure following rule changes designed to stimulate attacking instincts, European rugby’s greater entertainers have gone back to basics.
Not that Wasps are turning into the Argentina of old, all set piece and sinew, but the not uncommon sight last season of a retreating scrum was too much for their director of rugby, Dai Young, who in his playing days as a prop went on three Lions tours and established a reputation as one of the game’s leading scrummagers.
Young has added the scrum to his list of duties this season and there were signs at Worcester last Sunday that he is making a difference, allowing for the early replacement of the home prop Nick Schonert, who suffered a broken ankle. Wasps ground out a 24-10 victory, not quite winning ugly but, in the second half especially, playing within themselves to move to the top of the table, the position they finished last season.
“We did not reach the standards we set ourselves at Worcester, but what was positive was the part our defence played in the victory,” says Ashley Johnson, the former South Africa flanker who started at hooker at Sixways. “The Premiership is a tough league and there are occasions when you have to keep it tight. We are perceived to be an attacking team and we intend to show that there is more to us. We have made a good start to the season with two wins from two but you have to keep your foot on the pedal. We have done a lot of stuff right but there is also a lot we need to work on. We are nowhere near where we want to be.”
Wasps face Harlequins at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday in what used to be a London derby. They have made home advantage count decisively against their old rivals in the last three seasons but, with the Lions props Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler packing down for the visitors, Johnson acknowledges that his side’s improvement up front will come under more scrutiny than on the first two weekends.
“The scrum is an area of the game where we felt we were mediocre last year and needed to improve,” he says. “We have put a lot of time and effort into scrummaging and having Dai take over in that area has been a real plus: he has made sure that everyone takes collective responsibility.
“He has been a driving force in raising standards but, while we have taken a step forward, we are not taking anything for granted. We need to back it up and Quins have two Lions props. It will be a big task for us.”
Up to this season, Young set relatively modest targets for the club based on qualification for the European Champions Cup, mindful that five years ago Wasps were only a few minutes away from bankruptcy. Reaching the Premiership final last season and losing it so narrowly, on top of making the knockout stage of the Champions Cup for the second successive campaign, has resulted in the goal being reset.
“After coming so close last season, it would be silly to say we are not thinking about winning the title,” says Johnson. “We are using the hurt of losing the final and the desire and hunger it generated to drive us on. What you have to be mindful of in this league is that everyone improves every year and we have to. The first step is to get into the play-offs and that means concentrating on our performance.
“The last couple of seasons have given us the experience of big knockout games and the more you play, the more you learn to do things differently. The game is more quick as you cannot slow the ball down as much under the new laws. Teams will look at ways of getting around that and I do not think a lot will change. Defending teams are not going to flood the breakdown, so there will be more guys on their feet. It is give and take. For us, it is about setting goals and being consistent week in, week out, keeping up our attacking intensity while knowing we need to step up in defence.”
The 31-year-old Johnson started his career in South Africa as a hooker before being converted into a back‑row. He divided his time almost equally between the positions last season, making 13 appearances in the front row and 16 as a flanker, including coming on as a replacement, and he has no preference between the two. “The boys often ask me which I love the most, but I will play where I am picked and believe in my ability,” he says. “Every player wants to contribute to the club and there is something special going on here. Both positions suit my running game, but I do enjoy being in the middle of a scrum.”
