London Wasps 21-10 Newport Gwent Dragons
McGeechan frustrated by Dragons
Scrum.com
November 2, 2008
Joe Worsley of Wasps is tackled by Wayne Evans of Newport Gwent Dragons during the EDF Energy Anglo-Welsh Cup, Group A match between London Wasps and Newport Gwent Dragons at Adams Park in High Wycolme, England on November 2, 2008.
Wasps' Joe Worsley spills the ball under pressure from the Dragons © Getty Images
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Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan blasted what he saw as Newport Gwent Dragons' illegal scrummaging following his side's 21-10 EDF Energy Anglo-Welsh Cup victory at Adams Park.

For five minutes at the end of the first half, Wasps were camped on the Dragons line as the teams packed down for 10 scrums. However, some of the scrums broke up into a mess as Wasps turned up the heat, while the front rows, according to McGeechan, stood up or dropped down when they should not have.

Asked if he thought referee Chris White should have awarded a penalty try at the time, McGeechan said: "I thought we might have been in the running for one. When you have a team being totally illegal at the scrums, you are not going to score. We were held up over the line twice and a lot of it, scrummaging-wise, was illegal."

McGeechan, who will lead next year's British Lions tour of South Africa, specifically identified the front row. He added: "The Dragons were going up and coming down in scrums. My idea of scrums was that they were meant to be straight. We did scrummage well and it took its toll on them because they had to go to uncontested scrums because of the pressure we put on."

Wasps are now out of the competition because Gloucester's win at Newcastle has put the west country side top of their group and into the semi-finals. But McGeechan added: "The win was important today and the way we played was as well. There was some good stuff there as well."

He also questioned the timing of the Anglo-Welsh competition, adding: "I have said it before, that this would be the perfect pre-season competition because teams want decent games, and three games in August against sides like these will mean teams will take it seriously."

Dragons head coach Paul Turner, meanwhile, reflected on a third defeat to one of England's leading clubs in as many weeks, having gone down to Bath and Gloucester before their visit to High Wycombe. Turner said: "I feel we had the beating of them behind the scrum. We defended resolutely and we just gave it up. We certainly had enough opportunities in the last few minutes and we didn't take them.

"But it's good to come to these places. You have to play for the full 80 minutes here so I'm really disappointed that, when we went ahead at 10-6, we got a penalty immediately and went for goal from our own half when I thought it would have been better for us to kick to touch and keep the pressure on. Wasps, though, were quite clinical and they took their opportunities. I was impressed by their power."

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