LATEST NEWS
London Wasps Crowned Champions of Europe
21st May 2007
London Wasps, proudly sponsored by Magners Irish Cider, have been crowned Champions of Europe following an outstanding team performance to beat Leicester Tigers 25-9 in the European Cup Final. Wasps' success closely follows the announcement that Magners has extended its sponsorship as main sponsor of the club for a further two years until May 2009.
A club game record attendance of 81,076 came to watch the first all-English European Cup Final at Twickenham on Sunday 20 May. Wasps outplayed Leicester Tigers in every department with the defence ensuring the Wasps line remained intact whilst tries for Eoin Reddan and Raphael Ibanez secured victory along with Alex King's 15 points.
Wasps opened the scoring within just four minutes as Alex King calmly put Wasps ahead slotting a straightforward penalty, but Leicester's fly half Andy Goode quickly levelled the scores with a penalty just minutes later.
Paul Sackey then forced Leicester to lose possession and the resultant lineout provided Wasps with the move to secure their first try; Raphael Ibanez's quick line out on the Leicester 22 saw a short ball reach scrum half Eoin Reddan who sprinted 25 metres to the try line to give Wasps an 8-3 lead. Two penalties for either side ensured Wasps took a 13-9 lead at half time.
Wasps opened the scoring again in the second half as Alex King successfully slotted two penalties and a drop goal to take Wasps 13 points clear.
Captain Lawrence Dallaglio's replacement, James Haskell, nearly added the try of the game, stealing the ball and sprinting 80 metres down field only to be stopped by Ian Humphries just short of the try line. Wasps continued to batter the line and a successful penalty from Alex King secured Wasps a fantastic victory with a 25-9 lead in the 73rd minute.
After the game, coaches and captain alike were absolutely delighted with the result and the performance of the entire squad. Captain Lawrence Dallaglio rated it as his best ever game in a Wasps shirt. He continued:
"Everyone was telling us this was the best Leicester team ever, so that must make us the best Wasps team ever. To win this competition once is fantastic, so I'm delighted to win it again, and it puts us in a very elite group of clubs who have done that. It shows what we are about. Leicester Tigers have had a fantastic season and the strength and depth to compete on three fronts. They have done that fantastically well, but we targeted this competition at the start of the season and we've won."
Head Coach Shaun Edwards agreed with Lawrence's rating of the game and the team's performance: "If it's not number one it's equal to it. We made some tactical alterations to our defence and it worked like a dream and Leicester didn't even get a point in the second half so that was doubly pleasing."
Since the start of Magners sponsorship in 2005, London Wasps successes have included winning the Anglo Welsh Cup in 2006 and the Middlesex Sevens at the start of the 2006-7 season. With eight current internationals involved in the 2007 Six Nations Championship, London Wasps created history by providing the entire England back row for their final Six Nations game of the tournament.
