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As a glamorous Ulster curtain-raiser to what we
will eventually and more easily call the Guinness
PRO14 campaign, one of the great names
in English rugby provides the opposition at
Kingspan Stadium.
A rich history is littered with Premiership titles,
domestic trophies galore and, of course, a period
of domination in Europe. Players from all parts of
the world who have written themselves into rugby
lore have pulled on that famous gold and black
jersey, and that tradition continues as the club
enters its 150th anniversary season.
Formed in the Eton and Middlesex Tavern in
north London in 1867 – before the creation of
the Rugby Football Union – Wasps is proud of
its humble beginnings and of its contribution to
the game and of its constant quest for success
on the pitch and for reaching ambitious goals off
the field.
Typical of the club’s resilience has been its
emergence in the last decade from a period of
deep uncertainty about its future. Wasps has
always been something of an itinerant and yet
maintained a loyal fan base, winning leagues and
cups even when without a permanent home, only
to suffer a severe decline in fortunes, playing and
financial.
Lawrence Dallaglio was one of the celebrated
former players asked to ‘front’ a totally
restructured Wasps and with wise and wealthy
counsel in the boardroom the huge decision
was taken two years ago to relocate – out of
the capital with which it was so associated – to
Coventry. Wasps’ reputation for employing
adventurous tactics on the pitch was mirrored
in a bold decision in 2014 to buy the established
and modern Ricoh Arena, and the result? Packed
houses, renewed confidence in management and
in the dressing room, last season’s narrow defeat
to Exeter in the Aviva Premiership Final testament
to just how far the club has travelled and with
such driven focus.
The nomadic existence has ended and Director of
Rugby Dai Young has guided his squad right back
to the pinnacle of the English game while others
provided the foundations for another long period
of playing success.
With players such as the astonishingly-gifted
Danny Cipriani, Elliot Daly, Kyle Eastmond,
Christian Wade, Jimmy Gopperth, Joe Simpson,
Marty Moore, James Haskell, Nathan Hughes
and an inspirational skipper in Joe Launchbury
Wasps is set to mount a challenge on all fronts
this season.
Nothing less is expected of a lean and superbly-
run club and the players all realise that their
reputations count for nothing as the Premiership
‘opener’ against Sale awaits, the owners,
management and supporters expecting last
season’s thrilling campaign to be but a mere stroll
in the foothills as the summit of domestic and
European rugby beckons.
Warren Gatland gave the club riches in terms of
trophies before his switch to guide Wales and the
Lions, and now Young – with his superb playing
and coaching pedigree – has the launchpad
to match or exceed those glory days. It is hard
to argue with a side with such a formidable
pool of forwards and an array of backs which,
unsurprisingly, set new records last year in
England for tries and points scored.
But argue with it – at least tonight in sporting
terms! – will Ulster, making its debut appearance
at home under the new management team of
Head Coach Jono Gibbes and his assistants
Dwayne Peel and Aaron Dundon and with
Director of Rugby Les Kiss at the helm, they will
be determined to see tangible reward from a
season which once again begins with justifiably
high expectations from a steadfast Kingspan
crowd.
Gibbes’ CV is outstanding, and the former All
Black flanker-come-lock arrives from Clermont
Auvergne, having previously made an outstanding
impression in the same role, of forwards coach,
at Leinster under Joe Schmidt. For Peel, ‘capped’
no fewer than 76 times at scrum-half by Wales,
the chance to concentrate on the Ulster backline
is a golden opportunity to work with some of the
most gifted players in Europe.
Charles Piutau, Jared Payne, Luke Marshall,
Stuart McCloskey, Andrew Trimble, Craig Gilroy,
Tommy Bowe and Jacob Stockdale - the fourth
Irish international winger ‘on the books’ - are
Few campaigns have begun with such bewildering and beguiling changes
afoot, and now that the action takes priority it’s an evening to come to terms
with the new competitive landscape.
ULSTER IS ALREADY BUZZING
ROD NAWN