 GP Final 2008 is decided Another Leicester - Wasps Battle!!
Gloucester 25 Leicester 26
As we all know, drop goals can win championships! Remember World Cup 2003? Today was no exception as Leicester sneaked a place in the GP final by just 1 point after an Andy Goode drop goal within the last 3 minutes of the semi final against Gloucester. Ironically, the home team had done just the same thing only a minute or so before hand. Agonising for the Gloucester/Wasps fans but for neutrals it made a fantastic viewing. Ryan Lamb, (poor lamb!!) will feel pretty sick about missing a late penalt kick - unfortunate really as he played a blinder throughout the match firing them over the bar in the first half giving Gloucester a well deserved lead of 12-3 after the first 40 minutes.
It did look as though it was going to be Gloucesters day at one stage. Leicester had two players sin binned (one of them being the giant blonde bombshell that is Jordan Crane!) However, you can never write Leicester off and they came back in the second half like a storm - Any Goode kicked like his  life depended on it winning him man of the match and Tuilagi brought Leicester right back into the match with a try in the second half.
It seemed to be going Gloucester's way as James Simpson Daniel scored a fantastic try after an even better break by Qera. By the look on his face, James really enjoyed scoring that try - well why not, it did put the cherry reds 9 points in the lead at that stage.
Gloucester (12) 25
Tries: Simpson-Daniel Cons: Lamb Pens: Lamb 5 Drop-goals: Walker
Leicester (3) 26
Tries: Tuilagi, Mauger Cons: Goode 2 Pens: Goode 3 Drop-goals: Goode
Leicester: Murphy; Varndell, Hipkiss, Mauger, Tuilagi; Goode, Ellis; Stankovich, Davies, White, Wentzel, Kay, Corry (capt), Herring, Crane.
Replacements: Chuter, Ayerza, Blaze, Croft, Laussucq, Vesty, Erinle.
Gloucester: Walker; Balshaw, Simpson-Daniel, Allen, Vainikolo; Lamb, Lawson; Wood, Titterrell, Nieto, Bortolami (capt), Brown, Strokosch, Qera, Delve.
Replacements: Azam, Forster, James, Narraway, Cooper, Foster, tbc. 
Wasps 21 Bath 10
Bath have been running very hot or very cold over th e past weeks so anything could have happened today as they met Wasps at Adams Park. It was also a minor miracle that Wasps were in the semi-final, especially as they had such a poor start to the sesaon with the majority of their players lording it up in France!
It wasn't the most thrilling of matches to watch and I must admit to a little dose during the first half, especially after the gorgeous Michael Lipman was taken off injured - anyway, both teams slogged away and Josh Lewsey did a complete howler behind his own posts and allowed crocket to score and well deserved (at that stage) try.
However, it wasn't long before Wasps started buzzing and with the power of Haskell teamed with the experience of Lawrence (playing his last match on his home ground after 18 years with Wasps) and the tries started coming.
Sadly, it wasn't to be Danny Cipriani's day as he was carried off just 8 minutes into the second half. It is suspected that he has a dislocated ankle - the use of oxygen is always a bad sign - so his trip with the England squad to New Zealand will not happen after all and he won;t be joining his team mates for the clack with Tigers in two weeks. It is like David Strettle all over again - very disappointing for him.
We wish him well from RFTG and will keep you up to date with how he is getting on.
Wasps (14) 21
Tries: Waters, Flutey, Palmer Cons: Cipriani 2, Van Gisbergen
Bath (7) 10
Tries: Crockett Cons: Barkley Pens: Barkley
Wasps: Lewsey; Sackey, Waters, Flutey, Voyce; Cipriani, Reddan; Payne, Ward, Barnard, Shaw, Palmer, Haskell, Rees, Dallaglio.
Replacements: Buckland, French, Birkett, Worsley, McMillan, van Gisbergen, Hart. Bath: Maddock; Higgins, Crockett, Barkley, Banahan; James, Claassens; Barnes, Dixon, Stevens, Borthwick, Grewcock, Faamatuainu, Lipman, Browne.
Replacements: Hawkins, Bell, Short, Goodman, Walshe, Berne, Abendanon.
Match reports - BBC
Wasps v Bath
Gloucester v Leicester |
