The Exiles welcome Wasps in crucial bid for play-offs and Champions Cup Rugby

Just days after booking their place in the Premiership Rugby Cup Final, London Irish turn their attention to securing top-level European rugby for next season, and perhaps even sneak a play-off spot with Lee Blackett’s side headed for Brentford harbouring identical aspirations.

The Exiles will play their final home game of the Gallagher Premiership season in their clash against the Wasps at the Brentford community stadium this Sunday 1st May.

After London Irish made history by progressing to their first cup final as a Premiership side for 20 years, they must refocus and turn their attention to Sunday’s tie against a Wasps side who sit only one point behind them with a game in hand.

Aside from their fortunes in cup competitions, London Irish are coming off the back of a 42-14 victory at Newcastle on Friday which ended their three-game losing run in the Premiership. Since beating Worcester in March they’ve been unable to pick up points in their last two meetings at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Fortunes have turned for Wasps’ head coach Lee Blackett with the selection for this game shaping up to host his widest player pool to pick from since being appointed in the 2019-20 season. Jeff Toomaga-Allen, James Gaskell and Marcus Watson are all back in training and available for Sunday’s fixture.

The Wasps are on a run of five straight wins in the Gallagher Premiership and six in all competitions as they continue their late surge for a top-four finish after their dominant display against Worcester Warriors, winning 41-12. Alfie Barbeary, Elliot Stooke and Gabriel Oghre all shined.

Wasps are aiming for their first double-header victory against the Londoners since the 2017/18 season. They also have some outstanding statistics to boast including the best percentage of lineout success among all teams this season, as well as the most stolen lineouts (49). The Wasps haven’t lost away from home against London Irish since 2013.

With the odds stacked in favour of the away team, Brad Davis’s men will be hoping to extend their one-point gap over the Hampstead based side and make a late push for a champion’s cup place finish with the chance to go level on points with Exeter and Gloucester.

This could be a season-defining game for both teams with only three games left to play before the culmination of the 2021/2022 campaign in late May.

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