Sporting Life sporlife

World Cup Stars Back For Wasps

Fri 02 Nov, 03:10 PM


World Cup stars Lawrence Dallaglio and Paul Sackey both return to Wasps' starting XV for Sunday's EDF Energy Cup clash with Glocuester.

The hosts will also have French international Raphael Ibanez on the bench for the Adams Park match.

Sackey's inclusion allows director of rugby Ian McGeechan to move Rob Hoadley into the centre and Danny Cipriani to revert to full-back.

In the pack the front five remain unchanged from those who started against Newport last Saturday, but the selection of Dallaglio and Dan Leo to accompany Tom Rees on the back row means last week's starters, James Haskell and John Hart, will start the game on a quality bench that also features Ibanez, Dave Walder, Simon Amor and Mark Van Gisbergen.

Last weekend's results - both games were drawn - leaves everything still to play for in Pool A, as McGeechan acknowledges.

"The two drawn games last weekend means everything is still up for grabs I terms of qualification," he said.

"Gloucester have made an impressive start to the season, and facing them on Sunday will be our biggest challenge of the season so far.

"But it's great to have all our World Cup players back at the club this week and be able to re-introduce some more of them back into the team for Sunday's game. What is important for us now is to get some consistency in our team and our game, but we also face the challenge of giving game time to those who need it and using our whole squad effectively."

Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan has recalled a number of players to his line-up.

There is a total change in the front row where Nick Wood, Olivier Azam and Carlos Nieto return as the front line of Gloucester's forward effort.

Nieto started the first five matches of the season before a sore back ruled him out of the defeat against London Irish. Azam and Wood have also been key elements up front - Azam has been involved in all the Premiership games and Wood four.

Peter Buxton will skipper the side from the second-row position - after a shoulder injury ruled out Marco Bortolami. He will partner Alex Brown, while Alasdair Strokosch, Akapusi Qera and Luke Narraway complete the back row.

"We have to take the game seriously for our own preparation. We want to win at Wasps and we want to have a good feeling again as a group prior to going to Ulster (in the Heineken Cup next week)," Ryan said.

"The core of the side reflects the core we'll be using over the coming weeks. It won't necessarily be the selection but the group of players we feel can contribute over the coming weeks - as they have done already.

"The group we come back to now have been playing for seven or eight weeks, so the changes aren't disruptive."

In the backs, Gareth Cooper and Ryan Lamb will get the chance to start together for the first time - Cooper making his first start of the season following the World Cup and a hamstring injury.

Mike Tindall returns in the centre alongside James Simpson-Daniel as Anthony Allen takes a well-earned break on the bench after starting every match of the season so far.

There is also a return for Olly Morgan at full-back which means Iain Balshaw moves to the wing. Mark Foster completes the back three.

More news from SportingLife.com