WASPS 24, HARLEQUINS 18.
SARACENS was no fluke.
After ending their last home game with three tries in five minutes, Wasps marked their return to Wycombe with a similarly coruscating start against Harlequins this afternoon.
Two tries and a host of Danny Cipriani penalties meant Ian McGeechan's team had just about despatched Quins by half-time.
Seething in the tackle and all over their guests at the breakdown, Wasps found a level of physicality that would have made most teams wince, and in Man of the Match Serge Betsen, they had a brickwall waiting for Quins at the end of every dark alley.
More importantly though, Wasps finally regained the knack for transferring their dominance from the pitch to the scoreboard and after just 40 minutes Quins, who had hammered Wasps 32-10 barely a month ago, slinked back to their corner on the end of a 21-3 bruising.
Wasps Captain Phil Vickery said: “That's the best 40 minutes from Wasps that I've been involved in this season.”
Just as well, because their second half never got started.
For once the Wasps faithful cheered Dave Walder's entrance louder than Danny Cipriani's exit, Tom Rees was carried off with an injury moments after coming on and in the end, after conceding two tries and adding just a penalty themselves, the defending champions had to survive a real test of nerve to take the points.
But it's the first half fizz that will live in the memory, and after the shambles at Sale on Boxing Day, today's performance was a pointed reminder of how, for long spells of the season, the Guinness Premiership is shorn of probably its brightest attraction.
Elite squad regulations meant Wasps travelled to Manchester without their trump cards, but McGeechan was able to shuffle his pack for the visit of Quins and the four England aces he welcomed back were Vickery, Cipriani, James Haskell and Dom Waldouck.
Controversy though, surrounded the non-inclusion of a fifth England player, Paul Sackey.
Despite suffering knee and ankle niggles, the winger was expected to start this afternoon.
But England manager Martin Johnson had a word with Geech on Saturday and the Wasps boss, reluctantly, replaced Sackey with Chris Bishay.
It was further fuel for Wasps fans who believe the club-country relationship is a one-way affair, and if Johnson's request irked some inside the dressing room as well, a face-off with their fierce rivals was the perfect opportunity to let off some steam.
It was an opportunity they took with both hands.
A superb grubber from Mark van Gisbergen after three minutes led to a first penalty for Wasps, converted by Cipriani, and it was a similar story after 12 minutes when Waldouck turned the Quins defence with a low kick.
Four Wasps players converged on and isolated full back Mike Brown, a penalty for holding on duly came and after a swing of Cipriani's left boot it was 6-0.
A third penalty made it 9-0 but what stood out most was the ferocity of the tackling from the home team. Waldouck, Riki Flutey, Haskell and Betsen all landed huge hits as the turnover count rattled up and Quins simply could not handle Wasps at their pumped up best.
It wasn't all muscle through. A quick-thinking Cipriani nearly sent Tom Voyce over with a chip across the field as Quins retreated, expecting a pop at the posts, and when Haskell pumped his legs on one marauding surge Adams Park seemed to shake to his footfalls.
That burst led to a five metre scrum, Quins collapsed it and referee Sean Davey, already worn out by a string of Quins infringements, wasted no time in awarding a penalty try.
Cipriani added the extras and although Nick Evans, who tormented Wasps at The Stoop, got their first points on the board with a penalty, Wasps capped a storming 40 minutes when Cipriani and Flutey combined in midfield to set up Bishay in the corner.
With Care desperately trying to bundle him into touch, it was close, but the television match official gave Bishay the thumbs up and Wasps went to the break 21-3 in front.
The second half was less convincing though, and for Cipriani in particular it proved to be an uncomfortable experience.
It started badly for the England fly half when he pulled a long-range penalty well wide - and it only got worse.
Minutes later he was charged down for the second time in the match and while he escaped unpunished in the first half, this time his mistake was exploited fully.
Van Gisbergen back-tracked to retrieve the situation under his posts, but a penalty try followed within moments and with a quarter of the game remaining - and Cipriani still unable to instil calm in either himself or his team-mates - Dave Walder started warming up to chants from the home crowd of, 'You should've started'.
Wasps wobbled further when Simon Shaw was sin-binned for playing the man on the ground after 58 minutes, and he was a helpless spectator when Danny Care darted through Wasps to touch down his own chip and chase with 14 minutes left.
When Walder finally did come on, to rapturous applause, the lead had been cut to just six points and the game was back in the balance.
His penalty settled the nerves almost instantly, but a reply from Evans hauled Quins back to within a score and the final few minutes, although played deep in Quins' territory, was not easy viewing for the home support.
