Ibanez: Time to deliver

Raphael Ibanez has declared Wasps’ Heineken Cup semi-final clash against Northampton tomorrow as a “time to deliver” in the pursuit of another European title.

Three years after landing Europe’s biggest club prize through a spectacular victory over Toulouse at Twickenham, Wasps find themselves sent to Coventry.

The Ricoh Arena – Coventry City’s 32,000-capacity home ground – becomes the latest tournament venue when Wasps tackle Guinness Premiership rivals Saints.

Wasps, 32 points and eight places above relegation-haunted Northampton, are clear favourites to book a Twickenham return for this season’s Heineken Cup final on May 20.

Such are the London club’s enviable squad riches, they can afford to put World Cup winner Josh Lewsey on replacement duty, where he will be joined by fellow England internationals James Haskell and Alex King.

And even though Wasps beat Northampton 35-29 in league combat last weekend, hooker Ibanez knows it is a case of getting the job done again seven days later.

He said: “We are now well and truly at the business end of the club season, and now is the time to deliver as a team.

“We all know just how much it would mean for the club to reach another Heineken Cup final, and this is a massive game.

“With the quality and depth of the Wasps squad, you want to be chasing every honour on offer, and with the Heineken Cup and Premiership we still have so much to play for in the season’s closing stages.”

Wasps rugby director Ian McGeechan has retained his faith in exciting young England prospects Danny Cipriani and Dominic Waldouck, who start at fly-half and centre respectively, while Lewsey misses out after McGeechan opted for Mark Van Gisbergen, Paul Sackey and Tom Voyce as the back three.

McGeechan said: “We have pursued the policy of developing our young players throughout this season, and they have responded superbly to the opportunities they have been given.

“Dominic Waldouck and Fraser Waters are becoming a settled midfield combination, and playing Danny Cipriani at fly-half gives us flexibility and some different options, which can be crucial at this time of the season.

“But we have selected on the basis that we approach this game with a squad of 22 players, which I think is very important.

“We’ve picked that 22 based on what we want to achieve throughout the entire 80 minutes, and all of them will have a role to play in the game.”

Northampton will be without hooker Dylan Hartley, who is sidelined pending a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, but Saints have named fly-half Carlos Spencer to start despite the ankle injury he suffered against Wasps in the Premiership.

Saints once again find themselves written off in a big European game, yet they confounded their critics three weeks ago by sending quarter-final opponents Biarritz crashing out.

Northampton head coach Paul Grayson said: “We are not too bothered about the odds.

“We were massive underdogs against Biarritz and we are underdogs on Sunday, but hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves.

“That result against Biarritz had been coming. Our performance levels have gone up and the boys are sticking together.

“We are really tight as a group at the moment, and it is starting to be reflected on the field.

“Wasps are a confident team and they will expect to win. We need to raise our game another two or three levels to make it a contest, but hopefully we can do that.”

Another all-English encounter is reserved for the European Challenge Cup tomorrow, when Saracens host semi-final opponents Bath at Vicarage Road.