Reddan homes in on away success at the RDS

LEINSTER v WASPS: John O'Sullivantalks to the Wasps scrumhalf on the day Twickenham was confirmed as the return venue for the Pool Two return with Leinster

WASPS HAVE confirmed they will stage their home game in the Heineken Cup against Leinster at Twickenham on Saturday, January 17th.

The London club, who oppose the Irish province at the RDS on Saturday, ordinarily play their home matches at Adams Park (10,000 capacity) in High Wycombe but the potential interest in the clash has persuaded them to switch to a bigger venue.

Both sides would like to believe the Twickenham match could potentially decide the destination of Pool Two honours. The home of English rugby has been something of a talismanic venue for Wasps in previous years as they won their two European crowns (2004, 2007) and four English Premiership titles there.

Wasps chief executive Tony Copsey enthused: "Taking the game to Twickenham gives our players and supporters a fantastic opportunity to make this one of our biggest fixtures of the season. After the support we received at the Guinness Premiership final earlier this year, it is clear there is unprecedented enthusiasm for Wasps in and around London.

"This gives us another opportunity to welcome a larger crowd to a big Wasps occasion. It is our intention to open the lower bowl of Twickenham, a capacity of 30,000."

It's a decision endorsed by the club's director of rugby Ian McGeechan, who observed: "Twickenham has always proved to be a fantastic second home for London Wasps. We have enjoyed some great rugby displays there in the past."

The immediate priority, though, remains Saturday's first tussle between the sides at the RDS, where victory will provide great impetus for December and January European renewals. Ireland coach Declan Kidney is due to name his squad for the November Test series next week, underwriting the importance of high-profile performances by the Irish players involved.

One such player is Wasps scrumhalf Eoin Reddan, who ironically, might have been wearing the blue of Leinster on Saturday had he accepted a summer invitation to join the Magners League champions. Instead he chose to remain at Wasps and has continued to be a pivotal presence despite the arrival of New Zealander Mark Robinson from Northampton.

"I am going back to my homeland and, yes, I will be judged," admitted Reddan, who will be looking to add to his 12 caps in the upcoming internationals against Canada, New Zealand and Argentina.

"This is an important stage to perform on, but the game is more important than any individual because so much is riding on this one match.

"It's huge for both teams in this tournament. I am not saying we would be out of things if we lost but it's a massive opportunity to push on and put the pressure on Leinster for the rest of the pool matches. I have never had a problem with Ireland in terms of playing my rugby in England because I believe that if I am playing well then I will be picked.

"I am very careful not to put up any barriers because you only need to lose your head once and say you are not being selected for this or that reason and then you are a goner. You cannot worry about what you cannot control; the only aim is to play as well as possible and let things develop. That's life."

It's a positive outlook, no doubt buoyed from a national team perspective, by last week's visit from the Irish management. Kidney and Irish team manager Paul McNaughton travelled to London to meet Mike Ross (Harlequins), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Bob Casey (London Irish) and Reddan to confirm it would not be a case of "out of sight, out of mind" for non-Irish based players. It was a positive gathering for all concerned.

Reddan enthused: "It was a big step for Declan (Kidney) to take and the fact it went well was probably secondary to the fact he made the effort to come and see us here. It was great. He believes in the squad he has put together and says we can become the best in the world.

"While we may be some way from that point at the moment, you have to believe you can push yourself to get there."

For the moment, though, Reddan's focus is very much on Saturday's match at the RDS.

"Leinster are an entirely different challenge because they are on fire at the moment and a great side. The Castres game was a 'must win' and I couldn't wait for it to come along because I knew it would get everyone together. We are professionals and a proud bunch of guys and we are not happy with just raising our game for big ones like the Heineken Cup. That is something we are building towards after a shaky start and now the intensity is going to up again for Leinster."