London Wasps outplay and dominate Bath to go fourth
What a turnaround from a team that stayed in the Premiership last season only on points difference. They are now well and truly in the race for a play-off finish as well as being strong favourites to bring back Heineken Cup rugby next season
They were caught cold by the West Country side who scored twice in the first 15 minutes to lead 12-3 but the Men in Black never panicked and slowly but surely put their running game in place to claw their way back into the game.
Led by a barnstorming back-row of Ashley Johnson, Billy Vunipola and James Haskell, Wasps put Bath on the back foot for the remaining 65 minutes to be in total control and remain unbeaten at home this season.
Meanwhile, Bath never seemed to be able to match Wasps’ physicality at the breakdown and could only cope by conceding penalties which Stephen Jones was happy to kick.
They are now ten points adrift from Wasps and the Top 4 but most importantly seven points behind Gloucester who sit in sixth for a European qualification.
Bath went off to a flying start when full-back Nick Abendanon scored in the corner after only 24 seconds to take a 5-0 lead.
Jones put Wasps on the scoreboard soon after before Tom Varndell received a controversial yellow card for a dangerous tackle on opposite winger Horacio Agulla.
In the next ten minutes, the visitors utilised the one-man advantage smartly to see Michael Claassens score from a well-worked catch and drive on the wing where Varndell should have been defending.
Stephen Donald kicked the conversion and Bath were leading 12-3 after 15 minutes.
Jones reduced the deficit again before it was Bath lock Dom Day’s turn to see yellow for tacking the jumper out in a lineout.
Jones kicked the resulting penalty and the score was 9-12 on the half-hour mark.
The Men in Black started multiplying the phases and, on the last play of the half, Christian Wade showed he can be a strong runner as well as a fast one by outmuscling three defenders and score.
Jones added the extras and Wasps took a 16-12 lead into half-time.
Heathcote, who replaced Donald at the break, turned the game into a one-point contest with a penalty but Wasps asserted their dominance and became the only team on the pitch as the minutes went by and, with two penalties from Jones, built a seven-point margin by the hour.
They kept going and eventually broke Bath’s courageous defence ten minutes later when Chris Bell went over for a salvaging try.
Zak Taulafo secured a turnover before Nick Robinson’s cut-out pass found Elliot Daly out wide. The youngster chipped over the top for Joe Simpson who sent Bell behind the white line with a clever offload.
Bath had one last go in an attempt to secure a losing bonus-point in over time but they conceded a penalty at the breakdown and the game was over.
For London Wasps
Tries: Wade, Bell
Conversions: St Jones, Robinson
Penalties: St Jones 5
Sin bin: Varndell
For Bath
Tries: Abendanon, Claassens
Conversion: Donald
Penalty: Heathcote
Sin bins: Day, Abendanon
London Wasps: Southwell (capt.); Wade, Daly, Bell, Varndell; St. Jones, Simpson; Taulafo, Thomas, Swainston; Launchbury, Cannon; Johnson, Haskell, Vunipola.
Replacements: Lindsay, Payne, Taylor, Wentzel, Sam Jones, Davies, Robinson, Masi.
Bath: Abendanon; Agulla, Eastmond, Banahan, Biggs; Donald, Claassens; James, Mears, Wilson; Hooper (capt.), Day; Louw, Mercer, Skirving.
Replacements: Dunn, Beech, Perenise, Attwood, Skuse, McMillan, Heathcote, Hipkiss.
Referee: Andrew Small
Star man: Ashley Johnson – London Wasps
NICK VERDIER
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