Aviva Premiership: Wasps boss Dai Young lauds Ashley Johnson after win over Newcaslte
Last Updated: 28/09/14 7:13pm
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young felt there was still room for improvement from his team despite seeing them clinch a bonus-point win over Newcastle.
Tom Varndell scored two tries with James Gaskell and Rob Miller grabbed one apiece as the capital club moved up to fifth in the Aviva Premiership table with a 35-18 triumph at Adams Park on Sunday.
We were looking shaky at times and, if you give the opposition five or six opportunities close to our line, they are going to score.
Dai Young
Andy Goode kicked three penalties and two conversions, with Miller adding a further conversion, but Young admitted the hosts were still not quite at their best.
"I didn't think we were inspiring, as parts of our game were messy. We were looking shaky at times and, if you give the opposition five or six opportunities close to our line, they are going to score," he said.
"Newcastle are a very hard team to put away. All credit to them as they battled to the end, but we could only get a bonus-point win from this game and that's what we've got so I'm satisfied."
Stand-out performer
Wasps' Ashley Johnson provided two try-scoring passes and was the stand-out performer, and the young flanker was picked out for special praise by his boss.
"Ashley was deservedly man of the match. He's been outstanding all season and is a real talisman for us. He never stops talking on the pitch and comes up with some outstanding plays," he added.
Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards was unhappy with the award of Varndell's second try.
He said: "It had a massive impact on the game. Alex Rogers' try was ruled out by the TMO and then immediately afterwards they score when there is a blatant forward pass from Ashley Johnson to Varndell. It's a massive turnaround and a 14-point swing in the game.
"You don't get anything when you are near the bottom of the league."
Newcastle battled hard throughout, but could only manage two tries through lively scrum-half Ruki Tipuna and a penalty-try that was awarded late on. Juan Pablo Socino kicked two penalties and a conversion, with Rory Clegg also kicking a conversion.
"We lost the game because we made too many individual errors and it cost us dear," Richards said after a 20th straight league loss.
"Last season our aim was to avoid relegation, which we did, but we scored only one try in our first five or six games. This season we are scoring tries which is a good thing."