Wasps v London Irish: Wasps to continue play-off march

Expect Wasps to run riot at their new Richoh Arena home

There will be plenty of media attention surrounding this game as London Wasps will be playing their first match at their new home ground in Coventry, The Ricoh Arena.

However, despite the new surroundings, you can expect a similar result and performance from Dai Young’s men as they will look to stamp their authority at their new ground.

The Exiles have only managed one win in the last five years against Wasps, losing on the seven other occasions. In recent years this fixture has also been a lot closer in terms of team quality, although Irish are no longer the side they used to be and Wasps are beginning to hit a bit of a purple patch.

The two sides are also experiencing contrasting fortunes in the league at the moment, with London Irish sitting second bottom with no wins in their last five matches and Wasps positioned in seventh.

Wasps good run in the league has been matched by their performances in the European Championship and the side are beginning to show some real momentum at this pivotal part in the season.

Forwards Haskell and Johnson have made a real impact this year, with the ever reliable Andy Goode doing what he does best from the kicking tee. Also, with the backline pace of Varndell, Wade and Tagicakibau they have managed to build an extremely exciting and impressive looking side.

The big names in this Wasps team will prove too much for London Irish this weekend and their dominance will eventually pay off, with what should be a convincing win. Confidence is high in the camp at the moment and the old London side will be keen to impress in their first match at their new home.

Expect a lively affair with the home side putting a big points tally on the board. If Wasps get a couple of early tries in this encounter, then they could quite easily have won the match by the time the referee blows the whistle at the end of the first half.