Preview: Guinness Premiership Final

Editor 30 May 2008 6:14 PM

Rugby's gods have made a bit of a habit of scripting dream finals this season. There was Wales against France in a winner-takes-all clash in the Six Nations, the two most successful clubs in European history head to head in the Heineken Cup Final, Ewen McKenzie's chance to stick two fingers up at those who prematurely sacked him in the Super 14.

In England, they've delivered as well. Lawrence Dallaglio bids farewell to professional rugby by leading his beloved Wasps into battle in the Guinness Premiership Final – he could pick up his third Final man-of-the-match award there too – and through a couple of unlikely quirks of fate he gets to do it against the team that has proved to be his nemesis down the years. He will also do it, by the by, in front of a World record crowd of 82,000 souls.

Wasps and Leicester is a fixture in the English calendar that always raises eyebrows. Even before the two benchmark games in the 2004 Heineken Cup the teams were by some distance the two most successful in the English professional game, and Dallaglio should beware: they have made a habit of spoiling the others' party on an almost annual basis

2004 set the standard, with Leicester gaining the upper hand and bringing Wasps' Heineken Cup title defence to a premature end. Fast forward a year, and it was Wasps' turn, with Dallaglio's men spoiling Martin Johnson and Neil Back's retirement party in the Guinness Premiership Final.

Fast forward two more years, and it was Wasps' turn again, this time with a magnificent defensive display ruining the Tigers' dream treble bid in the Heineken Cup Final, and putting a dampener on Pat Howard's leaving do.

But whose party is to be spoiled this time? Both teams have aspirations: Leicester a title defence, Wasps a send-off to their cherished warrior. Of the two, Dallaglio's is the higher-profile bash, so to speak. So it'll probably be Leicester's day.

The reason Leicester's title defence is down the pecking order there is pure form. The Tigers have slunk into the final through the combined cat-flaps of a late brace of tries against Quins that nicked fourth place in the table and Andy Goode's inimitable ability to drop a goal when it most counted at Gloucester. It's not quite been as impressive as Wasps' surge of eleven wins in twelve matches.

Looking back at both games, it is still flabbergasting that Leicester managed it. Looking back at the whole season actually. Patchy form has dogged them all the way, but they appear to have mastered the art of winning regardless of form just in time.

As well as all sorts of match-ups on the pitch, the cerebral tussle on the sidelines will be one to bear in mind. Ian McGeechan and Marcelo Loffreda are two of the wiliest tacticians in the game, masters of introducing the subtle game-breaking tweak.

And when push comes to shove – it usually does with these two teams – that will be the unquantifiable that turns it. We can talk on and on about Dallaglio's influence, whether Wasps can find the right man for the fly-half role and whether their defence can be broken or not. We can harp on about Tuilagi's power, Goode's penchant for having his kicking go walkabout, and Varndell's pace. We can talk the basics of the respective forward powers and front foot ball.

Because in the end, we know these two teams almost as well as they know each other, and we know that for every pro for one team the other can find a con. It will be some fine nuance that wins this game, something we won't be able to see until it happens. So we should sit back, bid Lol farewell whatever the outcome, and simply enjoy another clash between England's finest.

Phil Vickery has fully recovered from a knee ligament injury suffered playing for Wasps against Sale in mid-April, and following a good week's training with the team this week, wins the number three short for the season's final showdown.

“I'm delighted that Phil Vickery has come through a week's training and contact to be fit for Saturday – it helps to make up for the loss of Danny Cipriani and Tom Voyce for this game,” said McGeechan.

Behind the scrum Riki Flutey wears the number ten shirt in place of injured Danny Cipriani, Flutey's place in the centre taken by Dominic Waldouck. 20 year-old Waldouck will pair up with Fraser Waters, who also makes his last appearance for Wasps on Saturday, having played 217 games in his ten years at the club.

In the absence of the injured Tom Voyce, Josh Lewsey moves to the wing, with Mark Van Gisbergen coming in at full-back.

Though he missed out on selection for the Heineken Cup Final last May, Van Gisbergen is no stranger to Twickenham, having started all three of Wasps previous Premiership Finals, and holds the record for the most individual points in a final, having scored 26 against Leicester at Twickenham in 2005.

“We are obviously delighted to have made it to the Final, particularly from such an inauspicious beginning in September and October,” continues McGeechan.

“It will be a great occasion. Wasps versus Leicester is always a major encounter, but to be playing this one out in front of a record breaking full house at Twickenham will be very exciting.”

Meanwhile, Loffreda has named the same Tigers XV that recorded that 26-25 win over Gloucester a fortnight ago. Martin Corry skippers the side from the blindside flank, with Ben Herring and Jordan Crane joining him in the back row.

Marco Wentzel and Ben Kay start at lock, with Boris Stankovich, Mefin Davies and Julian White named in the front row.

An all-international backline features Irishman Geordan Murphy at full-back, Alesana Tuilagi of Samoa on the left wing and All Black Aaron Mauger at inside centre, with England caps Tom Varndell, Dan Hipkiss, Andy Goode and Harry Ellis completing the line-up.

The replacements bench sees one change from the win at Kingsholm, with France A hooker Ben Kayser replacing George Chuter.

Ones to watch:

For Leicester: Ben Herring has quietly played his way into a regular first-team spot after a slowish start at the Tigers, but a revival in his form and Leicester's re-emergence as a team to be reckoned with, is no coincidence. The Kiwi will be the man to disrupt Wasps' close control game and eke the tigers out some opportunities.

For Wasps: Players' Player of the Year Riki Flutey has been handed Danny Cipriani's number ten shirt. He's had a grand season at centre, but can he play the director's role as well as the performer's?

Head to head: Lawrence Dallaglio and Martin Corry. They may not be directly opposite each other on the team-sheet, but how often has the drama surrounding a Wasps-Leicester clash been bolstered by the sub-plot involving these two? Remember the wrangle over the England captaincy just last year? One more time they go toe-to-toe, one final chance to be the better man on the day. Who will have the longest laugh?

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