On the last occasion the two teams met, toward the end of the 2005-06 Premiership 1 campaign, Henley snuck past a determined Wasps outfit who, like most clubs, were weakened by the RFUW Super League in preparation for the World Cup last month. To call any Wasps team weak would be a ridiculous statement and Henley had to struggle hard to gain a win in the quagmire of that Dry Leas pitch.

Wasps arrived en masse and in high confidence as their track-record in Prem 1 and against Henley in particular is second to none. Equally, Henley were awash with trepidation. Facing Wasps, with all the history and excellence that name brings to mind, is no easy task. However, Henley were not prepared to take on the role of lambs to the slaughter and went on to outperform their expectations and probably those of the Wasps players who, by the final whistle, knew they had been in a match.

From the start, Henley refused to allow their more illustrious opponents to set the pace and contested every set-piece and breakdown as though their very lives depended on it. As was expected, World Cup super-star Rochelle Clark led from the front and Wasps could have been forgiven for thinking she had been cloned several times, so high was her work-rate and so conspicuous her efforts. Last season, for all their efforts and spirit, Henley lacked a talisman, someone to follow through the hard yards and with Rocky’s return they have that figure. Again and again, Wasps applied the pressure, the class of their backs clear to all, but again and again Henley managed to find the answers to Wasps’ questions. For periods of the first half even the mighty Wasps were pinned to their goal line as Henley threw at them everything they possessed. By the half-time break Wasps had managed two tries, both of which were testament to their excellence and class.

As the second half started it was once again evident that Henley had no intention of rolling over and letting Wasps have their way, though the travails of such an effort began to tell. Where 20 minutes earlier they had forced Wasps into errors and turned over ball, made their tackles and attacked with gusto if not real class, now Henley were tiring and were reacting to Wasps attacks rather than pressuring the breakdown ball and preventing Wasps from dominating. Wasps were able to rub salt into the wounds by steadily introducing their replacements – and what replacements! Any team that can bring on from the bench players of the calibre of England A’s Sarah Marsh is a team of quality and confidence.

Henley, able to field a full XV but without replacements, were still competitive and never gave up the chase but 70 minutes of powerful, pacey rugby laced with huge commitment and desire from both teams was clearly taking its toll as tackles that would have been made in the first half were now missed and gaps that wouldn’t have been there began to appear. Wasps, with fresh replacements and superior fitness were able to make the most of their advantage and ran home deserved 39-0 winners.

Henley, while not content to lose, will have been considerably happier with their performance than that which they put in against Worcester the previous week and will take confidence from their battling defeat. They know that their effort and their pride are superb but will also recognise that they need to improve to really compete and need to learn to play smarter rugby when the occasion demands. Performances Nikki Buckingham, disappointed to have progressed no further than Super 4 reserve following her long-overdue return from injury and no doubt lamenting the recent demise of the England Academy, and Stacey White, in her first Premiership 1 game, both players in their debut seasons, left no-one in any doubt that they deserve to be playing at this level, while the recent arrival through Henley’s partnership with Oxford University, of Wales A flanker Rhiannon Evans (tipped by this correspondent to win her first cap sooner rather than later) and lock Liz Lennox, appears to be paying dividends. Henley still wonder about the departure of their England internationals though. What a difference they would have made!

Henley Hawks

15. Nikki Buckingham, 14. Nicole Burns, 13. Kirsten Jack, 12. Stacey White, 11. Sarah Gardner, 10. Martina Ashton, 9. Yellie Powley, 1. Rochelle Clark©, 2. Claire Legg, 3. Claire Sargent, 4. Mel McKenzie, 5. Liz Lennox, 6. Emski Heath, 7. Steph Hendricksz, 8. Rhiannon Evans.

Henley train at their Dry Leas ground between 7.30 and 9pm on Tuesdays and Thursday and welcome players to join them. See their website: www.henleywrfc.co.uk and email coach Matt Kemp, club captain Emily Heath or First XV Captain Rochelle Clark via the website.

Results for 2006: Harlequins, friendly (won 83-0); Vale of Lune, league (won 39-10); Worcester, league (lost 62-0); Wasps, league (lost 0-39).

Oct/Nov Fixtures: 29-10-06 Richmond (A), league; 04-11-06 Lichfield (H); 19-11-06 Saracens (A)