Danny Cipriani will help our new boys to rule roost again, insists Tom Rees

Chris Jones
1 Sep 2009

London Wasps kick off their season in four days' time but skipper Tom Rees is already looking beyond this campaign. Having finished seventh in the Guinness Premiership, the twice Heineken Cup winners will have to deal with life among the also-rans in the European Challenge Cup this term.

But Rees believes that a fit-again Danny Cipriani and the try-scoring power of new wing David Lemi can revive Wasps' fortunes and help them eventually become the kings of Europe once again.

Wasps are preparing for a new season having lost the England trio of James Haskell, Riki Flutey and Tom Palmer to French rugby and with Tony Hanks as director of rugby following the departure of Ian McGeechan.

Therefore so much will revolve around Cipriani and the new back division spearheaded by Lemi, who scored 45 tries at Bristol in 84 appearances and has won 22 Samoan caps.

Steve Kefu has arrived from Castres to fill the void left by Flutey while Tom Varndell, the ex-Leicester wing, has also joined Wasps in a bid to prove he can finally become a regular international try scorer courtesy of blistering pace and physical power.

Of course, getting the best out of these new backs is Cipriani's job and having finally got rid of the metal plate and screws that were helping mend his shattered right ankle, the out of favour England No10 has to deliver on a regular basis.

But Rees is convinced the 21-year-old will do just that. "I have always said - having got to know Danny over some years - that he has this natural talent but also a work ethic that is not always common with players with those kind of skills," said the flanker. "Danny is always pushing himself and the injury last season was a big issue but we are managing that and I look forward to him setting the standards.

"Anything that goes on with him away from the game isn't a concern because when he turns up at Wasps he does his job and nothing I have seen suggests that won't continue to be the case."

Cipriani also received a glowing report from Hanks, who has seen him emerge from the schoolboy ranks to become first-choice No10.

Hanks said: "I thought Danny was playing with flair at the end of last season having overcome a nasty injury and was very lucky to have Lawrence Dallaglio around at the club who went through something similar.

"With a whole lot of metal in your leg, you are not going to just carry on as normal. He is also a player who was going through that second/third-year syndrome where the opposition know you better and that means he had lessons to learn and we believe he is in a good place at the moment."

Wasps begin their campaign with the London Double Header against Harlequins on Saturday and although Rees will miss that game due to a shoulder injury he thinks Lemi can be an inspiration at the Twickenham clash.

The reason for that confidence is that Lemi has shown the kind of footwork and space which, says Rees, marks the Samoan out as a match winner.

Rees said: "There is pressure on our back line to produce the tries and as a squad we did not score enough last season. Steve Kefu brings a lot of the same qualities as Riki did, Tom Varndell has been working really hard and we all know about David Lemi's pace. I can't wait to see him play at Twickenham."