Wasps boss Dai Young was full of praise for side’s improved performance in their bonus point win over Gloucester at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday.
The Premiership tabletoppers bounced back from last weekend’s loss at Sale Sharks to beat the Cherry and Whites 35-22 and Young highlighted the importance of the result.
“It was an important win today,” he told Wasps’ official website.
“Watching the match, I never thought we were going to lose the game, but I did think it would go down to the wire.
“We looked a little nervy today, snapping at a few things, so perhaps the last couple of weeks have put us on edge a bit. Hopefully, this five-point win will settle us down a little and help us play with a smile on our face.
“We perhaps didn’t fire quite as well as we could have today, but at the same time I felt we had a little bit too much for Gloucester today and did lots of good stuff.
“Gloucester are a very difficult team to shake off and there were some big performances from individuals on both sides today. The contest went all the way to the end, but I always had the confidence and belief in our squad to get over the line and get the result we wanted.”
Asked about the performance of Man of the Match Jimmy Gopperth, who scored a hat-trick among his 25 points for the home-side, Young said: “I think Jimmy put in a great driving performance today!
“We do practice those driving lineouts, like any team, and our forwards did really well today, getting front-foot ball for our backs. Jimmy is pretty astute to know where the ball is and got his hands on it. He also finished in the corner really well for his first try.”
Responding to questions about the contribution of Wasps’ new Springbok Willie Le Roux on his home debut, Young was equally as positive, saying: “I think Willie had a great home debut today, he showed some class touches around the pitch and we were all really pleased for him to get his first try on his home debut.”
Young also wanted to highlight the importance of the core of Wasps’ squad when asked about some of the club’s high profile new signings.
“It’s also important to remember where we’ve come from and the hard work that has gone in to get us here,” he added.
“Our new international signings are perhaps the icing on the cake, but we have a strong group of players who have been here for a few years now, who have gone through the hard times, moved the club on, and are hopefully now enjoying the club’s ambition and ability to attract some of the world class players we have in our squad.”
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