WASPS just failed to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup, losing out to London Irish on the final day of the regular season, but Lee Blackett feels his side improved on the 2020-21 campaign.
Wasps finished eighth then compared to ninth this year, but they averaged fewer points per match, 2.3 compared to 2.5 (which would have been enough to secure sixth place 12 months ago), and they went into the season with a chronic injury list which included a number of their leading players.
Head coach Blackett will be focusing in the close season on a traditional strength of Wasps, attacking skill, feeling that a failure to take chances cost them in big games such as Lyon away in the semi-final of the European Challenge Cup and their final home match in the Premiership against Sale.
“When you look at the season, it feels awkward to say there have been improvements in our game and that there is a lot for us to take forward,” said Blackett.
“Our league position is really disappointing, but there have been some real positives.
“Our set-piece has been good, along with our mauling, and the game management has been sound. Where we need to get better is our skill-set: we have threats throughout the side and we need to be giving them opportunities.”
Wasps have been one of the more attack-minded teams in the Premiership for years but Blackett feels a focus in training on areas they needed beefing up, such as aspects of their forward play, led to neglect of a traditional strength.
“Skill is what makes us,” he said. “We cannot take it for granted because that is to take the wrong route. We put a lot of emphasis on our kicking game, the set-piece and the maul, but as a side that likes to throw the ball around you would say our skills let us down in matches like Sale and Lyon.”
One by-product of the large number of injuries that Blackett had to contend with, missing the likes of Joe Launchbury, Jack Willis, Paolo Odogwu, Malakai Fekitoa and Alfie Barbeary for large parts of the season was that young players were given an opportunity. One, outsidehalf Charlie Atkinson, was called up by England last week.
“They have gained experience and that will help us going into next season,” said Blackett. “In some matches, 21 of the 23 players involved were England qualified and a number of players should be putting their hands up for England between now and the World Cup next year.”
Wasps started the season with a big home victory over Bristol after having a bye on the opening weekend of the campaign, but it was not until the new year that they backed up a win with another.
“We were 16-0 up against Harlequins and then lost without getting a bonus point,” said Blackett. “That was the start of a poor couple of months for us, but we did better over the Christmas period and as players started to return we put together some strong performances at home.
“What it shows is just how tight the Premiership is. We won more games than we did last season and secured more points, but we dropped a place.
While we have improved, next season we must make the results show that.”
