Spirited London Wasps tame Leicester Tigers
As a result, the Men in Black keep the pressure on the Top Six and slowly but surely are making good grounds on their way to recovery after a traumatic season last year.
The home side looked threatening every time they went wide and they had the upper in the set pieces, especially in the first half, to stop the Tigers building momentum but they left some good opportunities behind with some handling errors.
The Tigers somehow seemed to be always in the game, Nick Robinson marshaled his troops brilliantly to keep them in the right part of the field and apply pressure on the Tigers.
Leicester will have to wait another season to win at Adams Park, their last win there was in September 2007, as they didn’t offer much in attack to give themselves any try-scoring opportunity.
They made they rare chances count with the boot of George Ford in the first 40 minites but couldn’t get out of their own half after that.
They stayed in the hunt all game though thanks to their superb defence but two blatant mistakes from Ford late in the game, a missed penalty and kick straight out in touch, meat they had to settle with the losing bonus points.
Wasps went off to a flying start when Tom Varndell scored his eighth try of the season inside two minutes
The forwards were awarded a free-kick from a scrum and No.8 Billy Vunipola tapped quickly trying to catch the Tigers’ defence out. He made some ground and when the ball went wide, Elliot Daly sent Varndell in the corner.
Referee Sean Davey asked the Television Match Official to check the last pass but the try was awarded.
Robinson missed the conversion from the corner but added a penalty soon after and the Londoners were leading 8-0 after six minutes.
They looked set for another try when Varndell’s partner in crime Christian Wade made a superb run from half-way only to see the flying winger stopped inches away from the try-line with a just as superb cover tackle from Niall Morris.
The home side couldn’t score again though and it was the Tigers who clawed their way back in the game thanks to two penalties from Ford to see Leicester trail 8-6 at the break.
The young fly-half put the visitors in front with an early penalty in the second half before Wasps thought they were in again but the last pass between Hugo Southwell and Varndell was forward in this instance.
But two penalties from Lee Thomas, who came at half-time, put Wasps back in front with 20 minutes to go.
Ford reduced the deficit once again with his fourth penalty of the game but coldn’t strike again when he had the chance.
For London Wasps
Tries: Varndell
Penalties: Robinson, L. Thomas 2
For Leicester
Penalties: Ford 4
London Wasps: Southwell (capt.); Varndell, Daly, C. Bell, Wade; Robinson, Simpson; Payne, TR Thomas, Swainston; Cannon, Wentzel; Johnson, Poff, Vunipola.
Replacements: Lindsay, McIntyre, Taylor, Brown, Jones, Davies, T. Bell, L. Thomas.
Leicester: Tait; Morris, Smith, Allen, Thompstone; Ford, Harrison; Harris, Chuter, Balmain; Deacon (capt.), Kitchener; Crane, Salvi, Waldrom.
Replacements: Hawkins, Holford, Brookes, Slater, Thorpe, Phibbs, Bowden, Murphy.
Referee: Sean Davey
Star man: Nick Robinson – London Wasps
NICK VERDIER
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