Melville full of praise for 'battling Wasps'
January 6, 2002

Wasps director of rugby Nigel Melville was proud of his players for not allowing Ulster to "take advantage" of their poor European form this season.

The London side avenged a 42-19 humiliation earlier in the season in Ireland by beating Ulster 36-32 on Sunday to finally give the Loftus Road faithful something to cheer.

Alex King kicked Wasps to a narrow Heineken Cup pool two win - adding to tries from Mark Denney, Shane Roiser and Fraser Waters - and Melville was delighted with the spirit shown by his team.

He said: "We said we weren't prepared to let people come and take advantage of us. I was impressed with the attitude of my players.

They could have so easily said 'there's nothing in it for us,' but they didn't."

But Melville was critical of the decision to allow Giovanni van Morandin - and Italian who cannot speak English - to referee the match.

He said: "When there's 30 guys on the field who speak English and one who doesn't, there's something wrong."

Dejected Ulster coach Alan Solomons blasted his players for their poor defending.

He said: "At the end of the day we gifted them 14 points. I'm very disappointed."

Solomons confirmed that influential fly-half David Humphreys had sustained an ankle injury, forcing his first-half withdrawal.

"The initial feeling was we could get him through to half-time," he said. "He was limping and had to go off."

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