Ian McGeechan got a double boost at the start of 2009 as London Wasps beat local rivals Harlequins in the Guinness Premiership and Danny Cipriani made a big contribution to victory.
The British & Irish Lions head coach was looking for a good start to 2009 after an indifferent first half to the season from his club side and the 24-18 home win over the high-flying Quins was the perfect tonic for him and his players.
England outside half Cipriani, who is hoping to creep into the Lions’ reckoning for South Africa this summer, responded to being given the No 10 jersey from the start with an 11 point contribution from the boot and a key role in creating the first try for wing Chris Bishay.
There may have been a few trademark charge downs from the Cipriani boot, but all-in-all it was the kind of performance that McGeechan and fellow Lions and Wasps coach Shaun Edwards would have hoped for from their highly rated playmaker.
England and Lions tight head prop Phil Vickery was at the heart of a Wasps scrum that destroyed the Quins eight and the only concern for McGeechan after a good day at the office was a knee injury picked up by flanker Tom Rees.
The England back row flyer came on as a second half replacement before aggravating on old injury.
“He has re-injured an old injury,” confirmed Edwards. “Sometimes when you do that it is not quite as bad, but he was pretty disconsolate in the dressing room afterwards.”
