Search

Social Bookmarking

Add to: Digg Add to: Del.icio.us Add to: Reddit Add to: StumbleUpon Add to: Google Add to: Technorati

Sunday, March 23, 2008


We're not letting you up until you give us your grooming secrets...

Leicester 34-24 Wasps

Leicester Tigers: Tries: A Goode S Rabeni D Hipkiss M Castrogiovanni Cons: A Goode (4) Pens: A Goode (2)
London Wasps: Tries: D Cipriani (2) P Sackey (2) Cons: D Cipriani D Walder


What a strange game. For such a grand stadium that only hosted a Grand Slam party seven days ago, you could almost hear a penny drop for the atmosphere was about as exhilarating as watching  Lenny Henry re-runs with a migrane.

Shame really, as the all-English semi-final matched up to any Six Nations battle in terms of enterprise, entertainment and effort, but a half-empty Millenium Stadium took the shine off a superb game of rugby.

Danny Cipriani may have all the golden touches at the moment, but Andy Goode' domestic know diffused his sizzling talents with Leicester's mop haired fly-half every bit as silky as the hottest property in English rugby.

Shaun Edwards saw his day-to-day employees yield more tries in 22 minutes than his Welsh defence shift in seven previous weeks and the great redeemer's face could've turned any man, woman or animal to stone given the intensity of his disgust.

It was more fizzle and flair than grizzle and grunt with both defences breached on four occassions.

Cipriani started the eight-try feast with a dazzling drift towards the corner before Paul Sackey swooped to finish off Eoin Reddan's scrintillating break from deep inside his twenty-two.

Andy Goode darted back inside a Johnee Murphy off load to edge the Tigers ahead at half-time, but they would've been disappointed only to be one-point up at half-time.

The Wasps defence was as quick as the Millennium Stadium lifts when reacting to Goode's quick thinking that allowed Dan Hipkiss to usher the ever-willing Seru Rabeni's over for Leicester's second score.

The Wasps forwards were shoved around all afternoon by the hungrier Tigers, especially in the line-out. Tom Croft pinched his second of the day, Andy Goode collected his own delightful chip and slipped a clnical inside ball for Hipkiss slide in for Leicester's third.

Be it audacious, genius or luck, Cipriani's spectacular over-head pass set up Sackey to bring Wasps within ten points.

Missing a forward pass is acceptable, not so much in a semi-final, but ignoring two in succession is just criminal. Hipkiss and Alex Tuilagi were the guilty party's but quick ball ensured Martin Castriovanni's rich veign of try-scoring continues although he needs serious work on his celebration.

17 point gap - it was game over barring the clock. Cipriani scored a slick late try but even his box office skills couldn't begrudge Goode of his day, although Cipriani will undoubtedly have more.