Shaun Edwards determined Wasps will cash in on a flying start

Chris Jones
15 Sep 2009

Shaun Edwards today warned the Guinness Premiership that his table-topping team were "only going to get better" having made an unbeaten start to the season despite missing key international players.

Wasps made a dreadful start to the previous campaign, collecting just one point from the first two games, but have begun this term with wins over Harlequins and Bath, scoring five tries in the process.

Notoriously slow starters, Wasps were unable to recover lost ground last season and paid a heavy price, finishing seventh and missing out on Heineken Cup qualification by a single place - a severe blow to a club that have twice been crowned European champions.

It is vital they maintain peak form before England invoke the release periods for their Elite Player Squad ahead of the Autumn Tests at Twickenham. International absences will hit Wasps hard, particularly if Danny Cipriani's form sees him elevated from the Saxons to play alongside club-mates Tom Rees, Joe Worsley, Phil Vickery, Tim Payne and Simon Shaw.

The club's impressive start has been achieved without a host of injured players including captain Rees, wing Paul Sackey, prop Vickery, lock Shaw and scrum-half Mark Robinson and they will all be absent again when Wasps take on Worcester at Adams Park on Sunday.

Wasps could aso be without Payne as an RFU disciplinary panel will decide tonight whether he should be banned after receiving two yellow cards for persistent collapsing of the scrum against Bath on Saturday.

Edwards and the restructured Wasps management team - featuring Tony Hanks as director of rugby and ex-England prop Trevor Woodman in charge of the forwards - have not only dealt with injury disruptions but also knitted together a new back division featuring wings David Lemi and Tom Varndell plus centres Steve Kefu and Ben Jacobs. Varndell has been a revelation since his arrival from Leicester, scoring four tries in the first two matches.

Head coach Edwards said: "We only had one point at this stage of last season and now we have eight but no one at this club is getting carried away with our start.

"We have seven internationals still unavailable with Phil Vickery likely to be the first back in a couple of games' time and the guys currently wearing the jerseys will make it a real battle for places when everyone is available.

"We are going to get better as the season progresses and I have been very happy with the way the new players have fitted in. We have some potent threats in the backs, guys who can go the length of the pitch and the next step will be to start collecting bonus points for scoring four tries in a match."