DAI Young has described Wasps as a ‘tired’ team after they were well-beaten by London Irish yesterday.

From 19-14 ahead early in the second half, they crashed to a 30-19 defeat that stopped their momentum stone dead ahead of tonight’s trip to Worcester.

After labouring to victory over Gloucester in their previous match and clinging on against Harlequins the week before, this was a result that had been coming.

Young said: “We looked a very tired team today and we were pretty one-paced. We had a lot of boys out there who were patched up during the week and I think we lacked our usual sparkle and our usual edge.

“There was nothing lacking in terms of the commitment or attitude but we looked like a tired team for most of the game.

“We have basically had a group of around 25 players to pick a squad of 23 from in the last few weeks and I think that showed in how tired the team looked.

“I think that we lacked penetration and as a result we couldn’t play off any front foot ball, became quite lateral and made it very easy for Irish’s defence really.”

Wasps were second best for the first quarter before rousing themselves to lead at the break, but they weren’t able to build on that in a weary second-half display.

Young said: “We were never in control of that game. Even going in ahead at half time, you have got to say that London Irish dominated the majority of the first half and we took the one opportunity that we had with a piece of individual brilliance.

“Having said that, at half time we felt that, similar to last week, if we were to get a foothold in their half then we be able to show what we could do.

“The reality was that they were very effective in keeping us in our own half and we weren’t able to really get the field position from which we could play.”