Ian McGeechan rated Danny Cipriani's display in the 19-14 Guinness Premiership defeat by Saracens as the fly-half's best of the season.
Sarries eyeing place in top six
Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan rated Danny Cipriani's display in Sunday's 19-14 Guinness Premiership defeat by Saracens as the fly-half's best of the season.
Cipriani, back after a career-threatening ankle injury, missed three of his six shots at goal but was a constant threat in attack.
McGeechan names his Lions squad on April 21 and his glowing assessment appears to enhance the 21-year-old's chances of making the cut.
"We'll have to see a bit more (before deciding whether he is ready for the Lions)," said McGeechan.
"That was comfortably the best game I've seen Danny play since he's come back.
"That was pretty close to where he was last year before he got injured and I can't give him any higher praise than that.
"That's what's been missing and he had a confidence today that he's not had recently. There were a lot of good things in his game."
Wasps must now produce a spectacular winning run in their last four games to have any hope of qualifying for next season's Heineken Cup but coach Shaun Edwards refused to concede defeat.
"We're not going to make the Premiership play-offs but still have a slim chance of the Heineken Cup and we'll give it everything we've got," he said.
"The last time we weren't in the Heineken Cup was in 2002-03 when we won the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and Premiership. After that we won trophies for six consecutive seasons.
Building block
"If you do miss out on the Heineken Cup it's disappointing but the lesser competition can be used as a building block for the next season."
McGeechan revealed he will compile a report on Saracens' use of substitutions, with prop Cencus Johnson being replaced after half an hour and then returning for the final 15 minutes.
"I'm fed up with substitutions that shouldn't happen. There is no problem with the referee," said McGeechan.
"The report will talk about the substitution area of the game. It will be confidential to me about what I put in."
Saracens head coach Richard Graham denied any sinister motive behind the substitutions.
"We made a substitution 30 minutes into the match. That's in the laws of the game so I don't understand why it's an issue," he said.
"There was no abuse of the replacement law."
Of the win itself, Graham added: "Our attitude was fantastic and, even after Wasps' late try, I thought we'd stick in there.
"I was really pleased with the character we showed. Top four will be tough for us now, we'd need a lot of results to go our way.
"But this certainly gives us a chance to make the top six."
