Edwards tests his young stars' mettle

The Guinness Premiership champions looked a shadow of their former selves in slipping to a 26-14 defeat to London Irish on the opening day of the season.

Dallaglio's successor as captain, Raphael Ibanez, was responsible for the opposition's opening try when his ill-directed line-out throw was stolen by Exiles No8 Chris Hala'ufia before flopping over the try line.

And James Haskell, charged with filling Dallaglio's considerable boots in the Wasps back row, endured one of his toughest days in top-flight rugby.

Edwards, who won eight championshipplaying medals with rugby league giants Wigan before switching to coach union, has called on the next generation of leaders to show their true colours in the first home game of the season.

He said: "To say there's not a void left by Lawrence is covering your eyes up. Of course there is a void.

"It's a similar scenario to when Ellery Hanley left Wigan in 1991. It was up to certain people in that team to step up and fill that void. It took us a while - we won the treble in the same year!

"All the players are aware that someone needs to step into that void and create that energy and drive that Lawrence used to bring."

Haskell's uncharacteristically tentative display at No8 last weekend raised questions over the 23-year-old's readiness to fill his former mentor's role as the club's enforcer-in-chief.

It is a question Edwards dismisses out of hand. "I don't think there's too much pressure on James," he said.

"He has played Test rugby in New Zealand and in Heineken Cup finals.

"He had a bad day at the office on Saturday and I'm sure he and the rest of the team will be a lot better against Worcester.

"We know we can improve. The lads are a little bit embarrassed by the way they played. They certainly know the summer's over."

Edwards takes comfort from Wasps' knack of timing their league run to perfection in previous years.

Not once have they finished the regular season on top of the Premiership table but they have gone on to hold their nerve in the playoffsand claim the title four times since Edwards joined the club in 2001.

The 41-year-old has enough experience to shrug off Saturday's defeat as little more than a minor irritant.

"I've been very fortunate to have played for a very good team that won the championship eight times and I've coached a very good team that has won the championship four times," he said.

"I'm quite qualified to speak about going into the season as champions. I know all summer other teams will have been dreaming about beating Wasps.

"We realise it's more important how you finish the season than how you start."

London Irish travel to Welford Road to take on Leicester Tigers tomorrow looking for their second giant-killing act in the space of a week.

Exiles head coach Toby Booth has signed Nottingham lock Nick Rouse on loan to cover injuries to Bob Casey (wrist) and James Hudson (ankle). Rouse is likely to be included in the squad to face Heyneke Meyer's team.

London Irish fly-half Shane Geraghty could miss England's autumn internationals after being told he faces another six weeks on the sidelines with the ankle injury he sustained in pre-season.

Harlequins are expected to be without former All Black fly-half Nick Evans for tomorrow's visit of Bristol.