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Italy would be 'crazy' to ignore Odogwu says Blackett
By Chris Jones
Wasps boss Lee Blackett believes Italy would be “crazy” not to offer in-form Paolo Odogwu the chance to play international rugby.
Odogwu has made a major impact with ball in hand for Wasps this season including a brilliant display of try-scoring power running in the win over Bath and he qualifies for Italy through his father. Odogwu was born in Coventry and has been capped by England at U20 level and arrived at Wasps via Sale who must now be questioning their decision to let him go. Odogwu has made 361 metres with the ball more ground than any other Premiership player this season.
Odogwu, 23, is seen by Blackett as an outside centre although he has made his mark on the wing in recent seasons and the Wasps director of rugby said,” Italy have been aware of Paulo for a while and they would be pretty crazy if they have seen his performance at the weekend and not be making contact.
“I fully expect conversations to happen now and it would be exciting for him. He has a big x-factor and maybe on the wing have not seen that enough and if you at him at 13 his attack is x-factor. He is also a good defender and good over the ball and has more to his game than pace.
“The way he can impose himself on a game is with ball in hand and taking people on and has built his confidence. When he has moved back to the wing he has been looking for the ball and we have moved him into certain positions from set-pieces because we are trying to use him as much as possible.”
Blackett does expect the European games to go ahead this weekend and is predicting that Premiership matches will be moved to fill those dates with the Heineken and Challenge Cup games rearranged for later in the season.
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Latest Comments
Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.
Go to commentsKeep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.
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