Wasps back into play-offs with bonus point win

9:52pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Newcastle 13, Wasps 32.

WASPS have eased themselves back into the Guinness Premiership play-off places in the nick of time.

With one round of fixtures of the regular season left, they are back up to third after making a mockery of their poor record at Kingston Park by running in four tries in a 32-13 victory over Newcastle Falcons tonight.

Lawrence Dallaglio was among a host of established stars not involved, but Wasps were not short of leaders against a team which had won at Leicester days earlier and were looking to give the 10,200-capacity crowd a grand send off in their final home game of the season.

Wasps have spoiled a few parties in their time though and they did so again to keep their hopes of collecting silverware for a record sixth season in a row still alive.

But in a game they needed to win, Wasps started as if still hungover from their defeat to Gloucester at the weekend. Tom Palmer was smothered from the opening kick-off and a succession of irritating errors followed as Wasps struggled to find their groove.

Tom May's sixth-minute penalty gave Newcastle a deserved lead and, after conceding 12 points in double-quick time on Sunday, there might have been a sense of deja vu on the Wasps bench.

But, as he has been so often this season, Paul Sackey was Wasps' go-to man when the team needed an injection of power and urgency and the England winger lifted his side by shaking off three tacklers in a determined, destructive run that is just as much his trademark now as his tries.

Suitably stirred, Wasps came to life.

From his station at full back, Riki Flutey sliced 50m upfield to turn defence into attack and after Danny Cipriani's penalty had levelled the scores, Flutey's exquisite chip and chase in midfield set up the opening try for James Haskell with 27 minutes gone.

It kick-started an explosive end to the half when every attack looked like ending in a try - and most did.

Tom May responded to Haskell's score by making the extra man on the right to dot down after half an hour, before Haskell burst out the pack to set up John Hart with a straight run in from 20 yards.

The captain was stopped just short but support arrived quickly, Wasps retained possession and Tom Rees made it count by touching down next to the posts with 33 minutes on the clock.

Cipriani's conversion extended the lead to 15-8, but the visitors barely had time to get comfortable on the seven-point cushion before it was ripped out from under them.

Steve Jones dealt with the Wasps' blitz defence by chipping over it and Ollie Phillips raced home.

The conversion went wide before the half-time whistle at last gave the supporters time to draw breath.

But as soon at the second half kicked off it was 100mph again, and Wasps were firmly behind the wheel.

After 42 minutes Eoin Reddan led a counter-attack from his own 22, Cipriani was on his shoulder to take the break over the half-way line and when he off-loaded to Sackey outside him the result was never in doubt.

Cipriani's conversion from the right touchline was perfect and once the dust settled on a 15-minute spell that brought five tries, Wasps were 22-13 in front and closing in on a winning bonus point.

Another Cipriani penalty after 59 minutes moved them into the comfort zone and that's where they remained for the final quarter of the match.

With the four-point win secured, all that remained was the bonus point and six minutes from time Wasps put the seal on a thoroughly professional performance when Josh Lewsey darted home from 10m.

To a chorus of boos, Cipriani put the boot in again to add the extras and, barring an epic collapse on Saturday, ensure that a trip to relegated Leeds is not the final note in the glittering career of Mr Dallaglio.

Newcastle: Tait, Phillips, May, Visser, Rudd, Jones, Charlton, Ward, Thompson, Hayman, Parling, Sorenson, Dowson, Wilson, Winter.

Wasps: Flutey, Sackey, Waters (Van Gisbergen, 51 mins), Walder, Lewsey, Cipriani, Reddan, Payne, Ward (Buckland, 59 mins), Barnard (French, 48 mins), Skivington (Shaw, 59 mins), Birkett, Haskell, Rees, Hart (Worsley, 68 mins).

Tries: Haskell, Rees, Sackey, Lewsey Cons: Cipriani 3 Pens: Cipriani Att: 10,200 Ref: Rob Debney