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On this evidence, Alfie Barbeary’s toothless grin will become a familiar sight over the next few weeks. Half a dozen of Wasps’ mishmash squad could have been named man of the match but it was the young forward who shone brightest in this famous victory over Toulouse.
Galvanised by Jacob Umaga’s 34th-minute red card, Wasps overcame the odds to outmuscle the European champions.
Few gave the hosts a hope. They were missing 19 players and almost had to forfeit the match during the week due to the absence of three loosehead props.
Alfie Barbeary was named man of the match as Wasps overcame the odds to bear Toulouse
Yet there was something special in the air in Coventry — and it was not the whiff of fumes from the dual carriageway. The likes of Tim Cardall, Biyi Alo, Jimmy Gopperth and Paolo Odogwu — making his first appearance for eight months — all rallied behind Barbeary to deliver one of the finest results of the Lee Blackett era.
‘You want to test these guys against the best, don’t you?’ said Blackett.
‘You could see what Alfie was made of today. I still think there is loads of room for him to improve, I really do, but he is delivering the big moments. Coming up with big moments at big times — that is what you want from your players.’
Wasps played more than a half a man down after Jacob Umaga received red in the 34th minute
As far as timing goes, Barbeary could not have picked a better weekend to deliver his big moments, three days before Eddie Jones names his Six Nations squad. Wasps trailed inside two minutes, and a sense of inevitability whirled
