Penalties leave Wasps in a land of what ifs
3:17pm Sunday 12th February 2012 in Wasps By Alan Feldberg
WASPS 17, SARACENS 22.
WASPS are stuck in a wasteland of what-ifs after indiscipline cost them a golden chance to turn their fortunes around at Adams Park this afternoon.
Five penalties conceded within 30m of the posts consigned them to their worst ever run of league results as English champions Saracens left Wycombe heady with London pride.
However, the hosts will feel they made it easy for them. Apart from gifting Saracens those 15 points off the tee, there was also an intercept try in there for good measure to consign Wasps to seven league losses in a row.
Two tries out of nothing mean they do take a losing bonus point from the clash, but that will feel like a slap in the face after the strongest Wasps side in months gave themselves every chance of completing a league double over Sarries.
However, and not for the first time, it's encouragment rather than points that Dai Young's men will take from the game.
It will be hard to take after they got to the break just two points behind despite having virtually no ball to speak of.
From minute one to minute 40 it was almost total Saracens possession but despite that they found the Wasps defence in a curmudgeonly mood and the visitors didn't actually create a chance worthy of the name.
However, as organised as Wasps had been there were familiar failing and all of Saracens' 16 points were handed to them by the black and golds.
Three penalties from inside 30m handed them nine points and after 18 minutes Billy Vunipola's ambitious pass on the half-way line was meat and drink for Saracens winger James Short, who raced home despite Richard Haughton's spirited chase.
That Wasps were still in the match was largely down to their efficiency in attack. Snatching crumbs of possession where-ever they could, Dai Young's team managed to create three quarter-chances and turn two of them into tries.
The first came with just three minutes played, when Nick Robinson's kick from just inside his own half was partially charged down. But the loose ball spun his way and in an instant he'd sliced through a whole to send Riki Flutey haring to the line.
The former England centre was stopped a few yards short, but there was no stopping Vunipola, who arrived in support to crash over from close range.
Robinson's conversion made it 7-0, but they were 13-7 when they next got a sniff after 22 minutes.
Again the spark was a kick from Robinson, whose up and under coupled with a superb chase from Dom Waldouck put all sorts of pressure on Sarries full back Alex Goode.
He could only deflect the ball sideways into the path of a marauding Tom Lindsay.
Again Robinson converted and he might have a try himself had Waldouck offloaded instead of taking the ball into contact when Wasps counter-attacked with genuine menace after half an hour.
The penalties though, in all areas of the pitch, remained a crippling Achilles heel and Saracens stretched their lead to 19-14 after yet another infringement just a minute after half time.
They should have got that back with 55 minutes played, when Robinson lined up a routine penalty of his own. The three points was meant to be second prize after the home pack had spent three minutes pummelling Saracens' line without reward, but the fly half pushed his kick a foot wide.
At the time it looked to be a telling mistake. It meant Wasps were still a converted try from the lead while at the same time they were walking a tightrope in defence, knowing just one more penalty could cost them even a losing bonus point.
They had to get the next score and, as is so often the case in sport, Robinson was given an almost identical opportunity with 12 minutes to go.
This time he made no mistake to cut the gap to 19-17, but almost straight from the restart Wasps were penalised yet again and when Goode did the honours the match was over.
Wasps still had eight minutes to salvage it with a converted try, but they got nowhere near it.
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