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Joe Calzaghe. Picture: ACTION IMAGES

It takes something really special to prise me away from my Saturday night slumber but Joe Calzaghe's victory over Yank loudmouth Bernard Hopkins during the small hours of Sunday morning was well worth hitting the Red Bull for.

Despite being a proud Welshman myself I was quite happy to watch highlights of the Valley destroyer's titanic stateside tussle with the man who calls himself the 'Executioner'. However, as the build-up to the big fight intensified so did my desire to watch all the action live.

Hopkins, a mean, lean bruiser, promised to take Calzaghe to task but the Newbridge southpaw's actions spoke far louder than the brash American's trash-talking.

Yes, it was a contentious split-points decision in Calzaghe's favour on his light-heavyweight debut, but the sheer endeavour he displayed to claw his way back into a contest that looked lost early on won more than the judges' scorecards - it won the hearts and respect of the few unbiased Americans at ringside.

After putting the Welsh warrior on the canvas in the first round, Hopkins failed to take advantage and seemed happy dithering close to the ropes as Calzaghe looked to land some clean shots.

Everyone loves a pantomime villain but Hopkins took it to the extreme. He tried to upset Calzaghe's growing momentum by persistently embracing him - unlovingly of course - while he did his best to convince experienced referee Joe Cortez he was merely enjoying several power naps on the Welshman's shoulder rather than using his head illegally. He then hammed it up for all of two minutes after taking a hit to the groin - I've seen Sunday League footballers wince less after being caught square in the goods' by a stray boot.

Hopkins has been defiant in defeat, insisting everyone other than the Brits' knew he was the rightful winner while he also claimed he made Calzaghe - 45 contests unbeaten - look amateurish'. Of course you did Bernard, of course you did...

So, yes, watching the big bad wolf get his comeuppance against a man who has shown plenty of respect and humility, both before and after the fight, was definitely worth propping my tortured eyelids up with matchsticks for.

Elsewhere, Saracens and Wasps served up a try-fest on Sunday with the visitors from Wycombe walking away as 40-29 victors after running in six scores to Sarries' five. The Men in Black are already out of the Premiership play-off race and a top-six finish could still elude them if they continue to gift the sort of tries they did against Ian McGeechan's in-form outfit.

A catalogue of errors and missed tackles allowed Wasps to wrap up the quickest of try bonus points after just 21 minutes, prompting Sarries boss Alan Gaffney to blow his top at the interval. He later proclaimed it was the most embarrassing' 40-minute display he had ever seen.

However, even at 40-17 down Sarries had the audacity to launch the unlikliest of comebacks as tries from hat-trick hero Francisco Leonelli, Richard Haughton and Neil de Kock reduced the gap to 11 points.

Wasps head coach and Wales defence guru, Shaun Edwards, was doing his nut on the sidelines as his troops dared to be complacent. I swear he was eyeing up my flat cap - priceless hangover attire - in the post-match press conference.

Sarries could have given themselves a real chance of pulling it out of the bag had prodigal fly-half Glen Jackson not let nine points fall by the wayside, but that would have been harsh on a Wasps side hitting peak form at the decisive time while papering over the many cracks in Sarries' paper-thin defence.

It is not even a case of 'must do better' against Munster in the Heineken Cup on Sunday but more 'must pray for a miracle' as Sarries face their biggest test of the season.

4:30pm Monday 21st April 2008

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