The Buzz:

• News about the sale of "QPR" by Chris Wright is still thin on the ground. As I understand it, reports are only talking about QPR FC but I would wager that they should really be talking about the sale of Loftus Road plc. Apparently Wright has put about 15 million pounds into the acquisition of his sporting assets, including around nine million spent on buying soccer players. It rather looks like he wants to cut his losses and "help" QPR regain its premiership position. Quite what this means for Wasps RFC is unclear at this stage.
• Rugby Express makes a welcome return to Channel Five in November after finance for it was renewed.
• Statistics for Wasps v. West Hartlepool from Allied Dunbar:

  WASPS v WEST HARTLEPOOL 
  
  Sunday, 27 September 1998 at Loftus Road, kick off 3pm 
  
   HEAD TO HEAD - PREVIOUS LEAGUE MEETINGS 
   Date    Div Venue       W  WH  Wasps scorers        West Hartlepool 
                                                       scorers 
   19 Sep   1  Brierton   19   6  M.White(T)           J.Stabler(2P) 
   92          L                  A.Buzza(C4P) 
   24 Sep   1  Brierton   15  20  I.Dunston(T)         M.Emmerson(T) 
   94          L                  M.Greenwood(T)       J.Stabler(T) 
                                  G.Gregory(CP)        K.Oliphant(2C2P) 
   11 Feb   1  Sudbury    33  22  C.Braithwaite(2T3C)  T.Herbert(T) 
   95                             G.Childs(T)          T.Stimpson(C5P) 
                                  L.Dallaglio(T) 
                                  P.Delaney(T) 
                                  J.Ufton(C) 
   20 Apr   1  Sudbury    52  12  G.Gregory(2T6C)      D.Patterson(T) 
   96                             S.Roiser(2T)         M.Thompson(T) 
                                  A.Gomarsall(T)       K.Oliphant(C) 
                                  N.Greenstock(T) 
                                  M.Greenwood(T) 
                                  D.Molloy(T) 
   27 Apr   1  Brierton   34   3  A.Gomarsall(T)       A.Parker(P) 
   96          L                  M.Greenwood(T) 
                                  Penalty(T) 
                                  J.Ufton(T3C) 
                                  M.White(T) 
                                  C.Braithwaite(D) 
   8 Feb    1  Brierton   48  23  A.Gomarsall(T)       L.Botham(T) 
   97          L                  R.Henderson(T)       C.John(TC2P) 
                                  A.King(T)            A.Peacock(T) 
                                  S.Mitchell(T) 
                                  Penalty(T) 
                                  C.Sheasby(T) 
                                  M.White(T) 
                                  G.Rees(5CP) 
   23 Feb   1  Sudbury    36  12  G.Gregory(T)         S.John(2T)
  
  C.John(C) 
   97                             Penalty(T) A.Reed(T) 
  
                                  G.Rees(T3C) 
  
                                  C.Sheasby(T) 
                                  J.Ufton(T) 
  
  
  
  
  
   HEAD TO HEAD - SUMMARY            AVG-SCORE  AVG-TRIES 
  
                     P  Was  D  Wha  Was  Wha   Was   Wha 
  
   At Wasps          3   3   0   0  40.3  15.3  6.33 1.67 
   At West           4   3   0   1  29.0  13.0  3.75 1.25 
   Hartlepool 
   Totals            7   6   0   1  33.9  14.0  4.86 1.43 
  
  Last six Premiership results: (home games in CAPS): 
  Wasps - (6th) WWlL/lw. 
  West  - (14th) wDWW/Ll. 
  
  Premiership Trends: West have beaten Wasps just once in seven attempts
  in league play - four years ago at Brierton Lane. Since then they have
  lost five in a row to the Londoners and that does not include the game
  abandoned after 68 minutes on 4 November 1995 at Sudbury with Wasps
  24-16 ahead when a member of the crowd took seriously ill. 
  
  Teams: 
  
  WASPS: To be announced. 
  
  WEST HARTLEPOOL: To be announced. 
  
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  Allied Dunbar Premiership 1 Table 
  
  Club                 P  W  D  L  F    A    Points 
  
  Leicester            3  3  0  0  122  43   6 
  
  Gloucester           3  3  0  0  90   47   6 
  Saracens             2  2  0  0  77   33   4 
  Bath                 3  2  0  1  89   60   4 
  London Irish         3  1  0  2  90   85   2 
  Wasps                2  1  0  1  63   60   2 
  Manchester Sale      3  1  0  2  85   89   2 
  Newcastle            2  1  0  1  48   58   2 
  Bedford              2  1  0  1  45   55   2 
  Richmond             3  1  0  2  77   90   2 
  Northampton          3  1  0  2  57   75   2 
  London Scottish      3  1  0  2  44   82   2 
  Harlequins           2  0  0  2  21   74   0 
  West Hartlepool      2  0  0  2  23   80   0 
  
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  

• Wasps v. London Irish

  Wasps were victorious 36-24 over an unfamiliar London Irish/southern hemisphere team. More confusing, the announcer was a Kiwi and the Exiles now play in a black centenary kit which meant Wasps got another run out in their change strip. After a brisk start that saw Wasps almost score, Woods slotted penalty to give Irish the lead after three minutes. Wasps pack gained the upper hand but Gomarsall appeared to knock-on before unleashing a move for Scrase to score in the right corner five minutes later. New kicking ace, Logan, had no difficulty in converting and he added a penalty on twelve minutes. Ten minutes later Wasps rucked and mauled their way up to the Irish line and Volley twisted over wide out on the left. Logan obliged with a further two points, 17-3. All seemed hunky dory until Woods came off his wing and slipped past ex-team-mate Henderson to score by the posts after 28 minutes. Woods (con.), Logan (pen.), Woods (pen.) and O'Shea (pen. - a belter from near halfway at the end of the half) saw the Exiles turn round with a small 20-16 deficit.

  The Irish came alive immediately in the second half and they found themselves 24-20 up by the 48th minute thanks to another penalty and Venter showing a clear pair of heels to score unchallenged . Wasps pack reasserted itself with Dallaglio having a quietly confident game. Logan scored two further penalties to ease Wasps back into the lead. Lewsey cunningly chipped the Exiles back line and Roiser was on hand to pounce on the spilt ball as Irish's fullback and left winger conspired to beat each other. The game could have gone either way at 31-24 in favour of Wasps but both kickers lost their way with two penalty misses each as the tension built. However, it was the away team that applied the coup-de-grace. Awarded a penalty five metres out, Weedon opted for a scrum and the packs spent the best part of the final ten minutes crabbing this way and that before Logan rounded off a fine performance by scoring as Woods had in the first half. Logan's conversion rebounded off the post but the game was comfortably Wasps by 36-24. Their is still room for improvement but the disastrous form of last is well and truly forgotten. Now if only we'd beaten Bath ... here's hoping for a hatful against West.

  London Irish (16) 24  Wasps (20) 36
  
  Tries: Venter, Woods  Scrase, Volley, Roiser, Logan
  
  Con: Woods            Logan 2
  
  Pen: O'Shea, Woods 3  Logan 4
  
  Attendance: ~4,000

  
  
  
• Wasps went down to Swansea 18-28 on Sunday 13th Sept. The Welsh side outplayed Wasps in the second half and capitalised on Wasps' poor handling. Leading 8-6 at the interval thanks to a well-worked Kenny Logan try, the Whites squeezed Wasps pack out of the game in the second half. After Gareth Rees left the field with concussion in the 50th minute, Swansea took control of the game and ran out worthy winners. The Canadian stalwart ran in to Charvis and will be out for a mandatory three weeks which will give Josh Lewsey a chance to play at his preferred position of stand-off. On the bright side, Kenny Logan proved an able kicking deputy for Gareth Rees, converting 2 out of 2 from near the left-hand touchline!Also welcome to the interactive horn trio in the South Africa Road stand who permeated the the unspectacular rugby with their witty musical interludes - anyone got any requests?
  
  
• The first five weeks fixtures are:
  

  5 September 1998   
  
  Bath                  36-27     Wasps  
  Gloucester              V       London Irish  
  Leicester               V       Harlequins  
  London Scottish         V       Sale  
  *Richmond               V       Newcastle  
  Saracens                V       Northampton  
  
  12 September 1998   
  
  London Scottish         V       Leicester  
  *Newcastle              V       Bath  
  Northampton             V       Harlequins  
  Richmond                V       Gloucester  
  Sale                    V       Bedford  
  West Hartlepool         V       London Irish  
  
  Anglo-Welsh "friendly"  Wasps  18-28  Swansea
  
  19 September 1998   
  
  Bath                    V       Richmond  
  Bedford                 V       London Scottish  
  Gloucester              V       West Hartlepool  
  *Leicester              V       Northampton  
  London Irish          24-36     Wasps  
  Saracens                V       Sale  
  
  26 September 1998  
  
  Bath                    V       Gloucester  
  *Bedford                V       Leicester  
  London Scottish         V       Saracens  
  Newcastle               V       London Irish  
  Sale                    V       Harlequins  
  Wasps                   V       West Hartlepool  
                
  3 October 1998  
  
  *Gloucester             V       Wasps  
  Harlequins              V       London Scottish  
  London Irish            V       Richmond  
  Northampton             V       Sale  
  Saracens                V       Bedford  
  West Hartlepool         V       Newcastle  
  
  * NB. The kick off times for Sky broadcast matches have not yet been 
  confirmed. 
  

• New messages now on the Wasp-to-Wasp Message Board. Fancy joining the Wasps' Third XV? Details posted there from Allan Isichei.