HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT PREMIERSHIP MEETINGS
10/09/05 - London Wasps 29-29 Leicester Tigers
22/04/06 - Leicester Tigers 20-19 London Wasps
26/11/06 - London Wasps 13-19 Leicester Tigers
28/04/07 - Leicester Tigers 40-26 London Wasps
30/09/07 - London Wasps 17-20 Leicester Tigers
29/03/08 - Leicester Tigers 19-24 London Wasps

The last team other than Gloucester to have defeated London Wasps in the Guinness Premiership was Harlequins 26-25 at the Stoop on 20 October. Wasps are attempting to win a 4th Premiership title after their three successive wins in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 finals.

The Londoners have won the last nine finals they have contested in all competitions (eight at Twickenham) since losing the 1997/98 Cup final to Saracens. Wasps have lost twice at Twickenham in the Premiership: 11-13 to Saracens on 4 September 2004 and 19-29 also to Saracens on 15 September 2007, both in opening weekend double-header matches.

Defending Guinness Premiership title holders Leicester Tigers' only defeat in their last four matches was 25-28 at Newcastle Falcons on 4 May.

The Tigers are playing in a 4th successive Premiership final and are looking for a 6th Premiership title in all. Since beating Gloucester 44-16 in last season's Guinness Premiership final Leicester have lost on their two appearances at Twickenham: 9-25 to Wasps in the European Cup final last May, and 6-23 to Ospreys in the EDF Energy Cup final on 12 April.

Wasps and Leicester have met on three occasions this season, with the Tigers taking the Guinness Premiership game 20-17 at Adams Park on 30 September and the EDF Energy Cup semi-final 43-24 at Millennium Stadium on 22 March, whilst Wasps exacted some revenge at Welford Road on 29 March with a 24-19 victory.

The two rivals have met in two previous Twickenham finals with Wasps victorious on both occasions: 39-14 in the Premiership final on 14 May 2005, and 25-9 in the European Cup final on 20 May 2007.

WASPS v TIGERS IN 2007/08

GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP

30 SEPTEMBER 2007

LONDON WASPS (11) 17, LEICESTER TIGERS (14) 20 (Adams Park)

London Wasps: Mark Van Gisbergen(1PG); Chris Bishay, Fraser Waters, Riki Flutey, Tom Voyce(1T); Dave Walder(1PG, 1DG), Mark McMillan; Tim Payne, Joe Ward, Michael Holford; George Skivington, Tom Palmer; John Hart (capt), James Haskell, Richard Birkett.

Bench: James Buckland, Tom French, Hugo Ellis, Dan Leo, Simon Amor, Rob Hoadley, Danny Cipriani(1PG).

Replacements used: Amor for McMillan 41, Leo for Skivington 52, Cipriani for Walder 52, French for Payne 54, Hoadley for Van Gisbergen 59, Buckland for Ward 69, Van Gisbergen for Hoadley 69, Ellis for Birkett 77.

Leicester Tigers: Johne Murphy(1PG); Matt Smith, Ollie Smith(1T), Sam Vesty, Tom Varndell; Andy Goode (sin bin 35-47)(4PG), Christophe Laussucq; Boris Stankovich, Benjamin Kayser, David Young; Louis Deacon (capt), Marco Wentzel; Jordan Crane, Luke Abraham, Brett Deacon.

Bench: Mefin Davies, Alex Moreno, Richard Blaze, Ben Herring, Ben Youngs, Matt Cornwell, Tom Youngs.

Replacements used: B.Youngs for Laussucq 55, Cornwell for Vesty 57, Davies for Kayser 59, Blaze for Wentzel 62, Moreno for Young 69, Vesty for Cornwell 70, Herring for Abraham 74.

Scoring sequence: 3' Walder (DG) 3-0, 5' Goode (PG) 3-3, 9' Smith (T) 3-8, 15' Voyce (T) 8-8, 30' Goode (PG) 8-11, 35' Van Gisbergen (PG) 11-11, 37' J.Murphy (PG) 11-14, 42' Walder (PG) 14-14, 64' Goode (PG) 14-17, 68' Cipriani (PG) 17-17, 77' Goode (PG) 17-20.

Referee: Sean Davey (England)

Attendance: 7313.

EDF ENERGY CUP - SEMI FINAL

22 MARCH 2008

LEICESTER TIGERS (13) 34, LONDON WASPS (12) 24 (Millennium Stadium)

Leicester Tigers: Johne Murphy; Tom Varndell, Seru Rabeni(1T), Dan Hipkiss(1T), Alesana Tuilagi; Andy Goode(1T, 4C, 2PG), Harry Ellis; Boris Stankovich, George Chuter, Martin Castrogiovanni(1T); Louis Deacon, Ben Kay; Tom Croft, Ben Herring, Martin Corry (capt).

Bench: Benjamin Kayser, Marcos Ayerza, Julian White, Jordan Crane, Christophe Laussucq, Matt Cornwell, Sam Vesty.

Replacements used: Ayerza for Stankovich 45, Crane for Herring 49, White for Castrogiovanni 51, Castrogiovanni for White 61, White for Castrogiovanni 72, Kayser for Chuter 74, Vesty for Goode 77.

London Wasps: Josh Lewsey; Paul Sackey(2T), Fraser Waters, Riki Flutey, David Doherty; Danny Cipriani(2T, 1C), Eoin Reddan; Tim Payne, Raphael Ibanez, Phil Vickery; George Skivington, Tom Palmer; John Hart, James Haskell, Lawrence Dallaglio (capt).

Bench: Joe Ward, Tom French, Richard Birkett, Dan Leo, Mark McMillan, Dave Walder(1C), Dominic Waldouck.

Replacements used: Walder for Doherty 57, Leo for Hart 61, Waldouck for Waters 66, Ward for Ibanez 72, McMillan for Reddan 72, French for Vickery 74, Birkett for Palmer 76.

Scoring sequence: 16' Goode (PG) 3-0, 23' Cipriani (T) 3-5, Cipriani (C) 3-7, 28' Goode (PG) 6-7, 30' Sackey (T) 6-12, 34' Goode (T) 11-12, Goode (C) 13-12, 44' Rabeni (T) 18-12, Goode (C) 20-12, 56' Hipkiss (T) 25-12, Goode (C) 27-12, 61' Sackey (T) 27-17, 68' Castrogiovanni (T) 32-17, Goode (C) 34-17, 76' Cipriani (T) 34-22, Walder (C) 34-24.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Attendance: 40018.

GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP

29 MARCH 2008

LEICESTER TIGERS (9) 19, LONDON WASPS (14) 24 (Welford Road)

Leicester Tigers: Johne Murphy; Tom Varndell, Seru Rabeni(1T), Dan Hipkiss, Alesana Tuilagi; Andy Goode(1C, 4PG), Harry Ellis; Marcos Ayerza, George Chuter, Martin Castrogiovanni; Louis Deacon, Ben Kay; Martin Corry (capt), Tom Croft, Jordan Crane.

Bench: Benjamin Kayser, Julian White, Richard Blaze, Brett Deacon, Christophe Laussucq, Sam Vesty, Ollie Smith.

Replacements used: Blaze for Kay 49, White for Castrogiovanni 61, Kayser for Chuter 65, B.Deacon for L.Deacon 71.

London Wasps: Danny Cipriani(1T, 1C); Paul Sackey, Fraser Waters(2T), Riki Flutey (sin bin 30-41), Josh Lewsey; Dave Walder(2C, 1PG), Eoin Reddan; Tim Payne, Raphael Ibanez (capt), Phil Vickery; Simon Shaw, Tom Palmer; James Haskell, Tom Rees, John Hart.

Bench: James Buckland, Pat Barnard, Tom French, George Skivington, Mark McMillan, Dominic Waldouck, Rob Webber.

Replacements used: Barnard for Vickery 57, French for Payne 57, Waldouck for Walder 61, Buckland for Ibanez 65, Webber for Rees 71.

Scoring sequence: 2' Goode (PG) 3-0, 8' Waters (T) 3-5, Walder (C) 3-7, 20' Waters (T) 3-12, Walder (C) 3-14, 24' Goode (PG) 6-14, 31' Goode (PG) 9-14, 47' Rabeni (T) 14-14, Goode (C) 16-14, 60' Walder (PG) 16-17, 62' Cipriani (T) 16-22, Cipriani (C) 16-24, 75' Goode (PG) 19-24.

Referee: Chris White (England)

Attendance: 17498.