London Wasps 51-18 Leeds, Aviva Premiership, April 17
Back issues rallying cry
ESPNscrum Staff
April 17, 2011
Wasps' Jonah Holmes is halted by Leeds defenders, London Wasps v Leeds, Aviva Premiership, Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, April 17, 2011
Jonah Holmes looks for the offload during Wasps' win over Leeds © Getty Images
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Leeds director of rugby Neil Back called on "the whole of Yorkshire" to come to their home match with Harlequins next weekend after their survival hopes suffered a major blow with a 51-18 mauling at Wasps.

With just two games remaining time is fast running out for Leeds, who never looked like hauling themselves off the foot of the table. Instead they remain level on points with Newcastle, who now have a game in hand, and with the pressure mounting Back is hoping for a packed Headingley in next weekend's crucial encounter.

"Next Sunday is a must-win game, we won't play as badly again and we need the whole of Yorkshire to come down and support us," he said. "Newcastle have three games to go to our two so if they win at home next Friday night it will be a huge blow."

Leeds were simply blown away by the pace of Wasps' backs with Joe Simpson and Richard Haughton picking up two tries each while David Walder, on his last appearance at Adams Park, kicked 14 points.

A young Wasps side were without the likes of Andy Powell, Serge Betsen and David Lemi but they produced a much-improved performance to record only their second win in 10 games. Leeds had won their previous two games, including a narrow win over Newcastle last Saturday, but today's defeat served to take the steam out of their recent resurgence.

"We came here with absolute confidence and we thought our recent form would give us the edge and nobody would have predicted that scoreline," Back said. "The squad feel they've let everyone at the club down but that performance was not a reflection of how they've been playing, we normally tough it out and it's only in four or five games that we haven't deserved anything."

Wasps interim director of rugby Leon Holden was thrilled with the performance of his young guns. Elliott Daly in the centre and Sam Jones in the back row looked fine prospects, with Holden saying: "This is the start of the revolution, hopefully we'll look back on this in 10 years and say that.

"Youngsters have no fear and they have a touch of arrogance."

Mid-table Wasps now face Bath at Twickenham next Saturday before finishing at Exeter. "The season hasn't gone spectacularly well but if we can win our next two games then maybe we can rescue the situation," Holden added. "We've got a few players coming back next week including Richard Birkett and Ben Jacobs so selection won't be easy but Twickenham and a large crowd is a different proposition."

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