Rising from the ashes: Wasps’ remarkable return to the top

We all know that moments make matches. We also know that moments of individual brilliance (or stupidity, for that matter) can make or break seasons. But, when you really think of it, the effects of such flashes of inspiration, perspiration or brain-implosion can ripple on and on, defining entire careers or even the future of an entire club – and perhaps no other team has felt that more acutely than Wasps.

Rewind almost three years ago, to 21 April 2012 at the Rec to be precise, and Sam Vesty was cantering towards the try-line with an arm raised to condemn Wasps to a point-less defeat. Instead, the renowned defensive lynchpin that is Tom Varndell hared back, tackled and turned his ex-Leicester colleague, plastering the proverbial egg onto Vesty’s face and saving a precious bonus point in the process.

But that moment meant so much more – Wasps would go on the next week to survive the Premiership by a single point. A survival which, it has since transpired, saved the club.

“Simply put, had we gone down, we would have gone bust”, says Nick Eastwood, Wasps CEO, in a matter-of-fact way which hammers home the precariousness of the situation that the club were in.

Fast-forward to the present day (well, the Saturday just passed), and we are faced with a very different outlook. Thanks to the folks at BT Sport, I was allowed full-access to Wasps’ new home in Coventry, the Ricoh Arena, before and after the crunch European game against Leinster – and let me tell you, it is an impressive set up.

“It’s been an amazing transition”, says Tim Percival, Head of Corporate Communications, as he shows me a giant hanger stuffed full of bars, food stalls, big screens and a stage with a live band. “We could never have had anything like this at Adams Park, and to go from an attendance of 4,000 to 24,000 in the space of a month is a special achievement.”

Seeing the festival-like atmosphere building in the stadium with several hours still to go to kick off, you can see why, so far, most neutrals agree that this has been a great move for the club. But it didn’t always look as if the Wasps brand would necessarily be welcomed to the Midlands with open arms.

“We had Coventry FC fans protesting outside the press conference”, says Percival, who had the unenviable task of handling the PR when news of the move broke. “There was a lot of anger from existing fans too around Wycombe, which we could completely understand because of the suddenness of it all, but because of confidentiality clauses in negotiations it made it impossible to consult with people too widely.

“But since the dust has settled, we’ve seen such a positive response from fans who now acknowledge it was the right decision for a failing business. Some obviously can’t logistically make it to Coventry, but a large proportion of the fans are coming up on the transport we’ve arranged and are really enjoying the facilities and improvements on offer.”

Of course, it’s not just traditional Wasps fans who are filling the seats at the Ricoh. As Eastwood says, they’re tapping into “a rugby hotbed” with no top-level team in the immediate vicinity, despite what the Leicester Tigers advertising billboard might say outside the ground. The welcome has even won over the staunchest of supporters, those that bleed yellow and black, such as a certain Lawrence Dallaglio.

“It’s just fantastic,” says the former England number eight turned BT Sport pundit, casting his eyes around the stadium from pitchside before the game. “I don’t think anyone expected the local population to welcome the club like they have done. It’s incredible to play in front of. Speaking to the Wasps players, they’ve felt right at home since the moment they set foot on the pitch and so it’s a massive boost to the club as a whole”.

And on the Leicester Tigers billboard outside the ground?

“I’ve actually heard of another advertising campaign” grins Dallaglio. “Someone has set up a fundraiser to place a billboard outside Welford Road saying ‘Wasps – Entertaining Rugby on your Doorstep since 2015′. I think they’re currently £500 towards the £800”.

Whilst we don’t know how much the cheeky Dallaglio has to do with this campaign, one thing we do know is that the facilities that Wasps have acquired are second-to-none for a Premiership rugby club – the Ricoh Arena was, after all, built with Premiership football in mind. It was for games like the one against Leinster that the move to Coventry was essential.

The Champions Cup showdown against the Irish giants was, in the words of Nick Eastwood, the “real baptism” for Wasps’ new home; the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. And it’s brought with it a sense of optimism that hasn’t been felt at the club for the best part of seven years, with a host of young talent in the shape of Wade, Launchbury, Daly and Lozowski being complimented by established international talent such as Ashley Johnson and Alapati Leuia. It’s a balance that Eastwood is keen to maintain.

“If you look at all the top clubs, they have that balance between home grown talent – young players who are passionate about the club – and international stars in key positions who can help develop them and help the club kick on to higher levels. We want to keep Wasps values at the core of the club but also get a few big names in as well – whether that’s from abroad or otherwise – to make Wasps one of the top clubs in Europe again”.

They’re certainly moving in the right direction. With a carnival atmosphere and an attendance of 23,493 watching a crackerjack of a game, this is the spotlight that the Wasps brand is moving towards after a few years in the shadows.

When Andy Goode shanked that last-gasp drop goal wide, it looked as if the chance for a first appearance in the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition since they won the whole thing in 2007 had disappeared – but the rugby gods seem to be smiling on the Wasps currently. And you suspect that they’ll be making many more memorable moments in the future – moments that seemed a long way off just three years ago.

By Mike Cooper (@RuckedOver)

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