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London Wasps Director of Rugby Nigel Melville assesses the Wasps boys' displays in the Rugby World Cup.

And now we are none. After sweating blood for their respective nations, London Wasps World Cup contingent are back home - none of them able to help their sides beyond the quarter-finals. For some it has been a great experience just being part of such hugely talented squads whilst for others, their committed displays perhaps deserved better than defeat at a relatively early stage. London Wasps Director of Rugby Nigel Melville has watched them all and one man in particular stands out for unreserved praise.

LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO (England)
"Lawrence Dallaglio has been one of the players of the tournament and it is a crying shame that he won't be taking any further part in the competition. It's a team game of course and the truth is that the team under-performed, but individually he was outstanding and I feel very sorry for him."

JOE WORSLEY (England)
Another England player who won plaudits from Melville is Joe Worsley. Joe was expected to perform an impact role late in games but in fact started both the Italy and Tonga matches.

"He put in two very good displays", Melville observed. "It would have been a great experience for him and will help him understand more about the game in general. It will of course hold him in very good stead for the next World Cup in which he should almost certainly appear."


KENNY LOGAN (Scotland)
And what of Kenny Logan, Scotland's flying winger and kicker?

"Well he didn't see an awful lot of the ball apart from when he was about to kick it! He kicked his points well and kept Scotland in games with his points scoring but he never really got a chance to fly which was a shame.


ANDY REED (Scotland)
Andy Reed enjoyed one game against Uruguay.

"It was a workmanlike performance," according to Melville. "Reeder would have spent his World Cup holding an awful lot of tackle bags but he will be grateful for the experience and perhaps the final opportunity of his career to play in a World Cup."


TREVOR LEOTA (Samoa)
The first Wasps player to depart the tournamant - Trevor Leota. Nigel Melville has quite a bit of sympathy for a player who was perhaps unable to fulfil his true potential during the competition.

"Samoa have an ageing side and for many of them it was a last hurrah. Unfortunately for Trevor he was scrummaging with two props who weren't particularly good under pressure and that didn't give him much scope to express himself. He'll be back though".


MARTYN WOOD (England)
For London Wasps other England representative, the World Cup will have been a frustrating experience but one that should at least fire his ambitions to do it again and this time as a regular member of the team. Martyn Wood spent the entire tournament in the stands, which for Nigel Melville was a little disappointing.

"I felt that with the injury to Austin Healy and the continuing fitness doubts raised about Matt Dawson that Woody would have got a chance. It wasn't to be though but at least he will have learned from spending time with an excellent squad."

Generally a disappointing World Cup then for London Wasps' player with the quality of their individual displays perhaps not reflected in below par team performances. Nevertheless it's our gain and if our six boys are to take out their frustrations on Allied Dunbar opponents a few teams had better beware!