Wasps sign-off at the Ricoh with BP win ahead of away Semi Final
Wasps ended the regular Premiership season with a bonus point win, but it wasn't quite enough to secure them a home Semi Final.
WaspsLondon Irish
Sat 7th May 2016
3:30 pm
Ricoh Arena StadiumAviva Premiership Wasps went ahead after just two minutes from a 30-metre Ruaridh Jackson penalty after Thomas Young had snapped up an overthrown Irish lineout just outside their 22.
Irish then threatened when Fergus Mulchrone powered his way past a series of defenders to make his way into the 22, but a poor pass from recycled ball sailed into touch.
After a series of re-set scrums, the ball finally emerged on the Wasps side, but it was lost in contact and Irish kicked downfield. Charles Piutau gathered inside his 22 and burst through a tackle to send his brother Siale through a gap, but the pass was adujudged to have drifted forward.
It was then the visitors’ turn to look dangerous after they won the scrum. Greig Tonks joined the line and created an overlap for Alex Lewington, but the final pass went astray.
Wasps were trying to move the ball at every opportunity, but a series of turnovers prevented them from gathering any momentum. With Irish again looking dangerous in the midfield, Joe Simpson pulled off a vital interception inside his own 22 and Elliot Daly’s huge clearance kick found touch a few metres from the Irish line.
In the 17th minute, Siale Piutau burst through midfield to make 35 metres before the ball was moved out to the left and Josh Bassett was stopped a few metres short. Play came back infield and Irish conceded a penalty in front of the posts. Ruaridh Jackson doubled the lead with a simple kick.
With relegation already confirmed, Irish were playing with no pressure and moving the ball well. After 22 minutes, following two penalties to the corner, Johnny Williams went over under the posts and Theo Brophy Clews landed the conversion to give his side the lead. Wasps then opted to to put two penalties into the left hand corner. The second resulted in a try for Thomas Young after Joe Launchbury won the ball at the front to set up a well-controlled drive over the line. Ruaridh Jackson’s touchline conversion drifted just to the right of the posts.
Nine minutes before half-time, Young was helped from the field with a leg injury and his place was taken by Sam Jones. Two minutes later, Wasps stretched their lead with well-constructed try by Charles Piutau near the right corner. It was created by Ashley Johnson’s thunderous charge as he came onto Joe Simpson’s short pass at speed 40 metres out. He was hauled down just short of the line, but quick ball was moved out wide and Piutau was able to go over. Before Jackson’s conversion attempt, Ofisa Treviranus was sent to the sin bin for an offence earlier in the move which led to the try. Jackson’s kick then went wide to the left of the posts.
Two minutes before the break, Wasps extended their lead with a superb try by Christian Wade, created back near halfway, with a strong run by Sam Jones. Several phases later, after two further telling contributions by the replacement, Elliot Daly’s long pass sent Wade in at the corner for his 12th Premiership try of the season. Ruaridh Jackson was again unable to land a difficult conversion, leaving the halftime score at 21-7 to Wasps after 40 minutes in which they had rarely got out of second gear.
After a scrappy opening few minutes to the second half, the game burst into life when Wasps won a turnover in their 22. Joe Simpson hacked downfield and gathered to cross halfway. The ball was then moved out to Josh Bassett, whose attempted pass was intercepted just outside the Irish 22.
When play moved to the other end of the field, it took some outstanding goal-line defence by Wasps to deny the visitors a try. A series of scrum penalties in the shadow of the Wasps posts threatened a penalty try before a well-placed kick to the corner bounced away from Josh Bassett and Alex Lewington was on hand to touch down for a try. Brophy Clews missed the touchline, so the score stood at 21-12 as the game entered the final quarter.
A minute later, Wasps secured the bonus point with a glorious breakaway try by Dan Robson to finish off a move which had begun well inside the Wasps half, with a fantastic break by Jimmy Gopperth, who added the conversion. Three minutes later, Josh Bassett ripped the ball from Irish hands on the Wasps 22 to race away for the fifth try, which Gopperth was unable to convert.
The visitors then suffered a second yellow card, when skipper Luke Narraway was sent to the sinbin. Within a minute, MOTM Ashley Johnson finished off a driving lineout near the right corner. Gopperth’s conversion went wide, leaving the score at 38-12 with ten minutes still to play.
In the closing minutes, both sides displayed a mixture of sevens and basketball, but there was no further scoring and the curtain came down on a thrilling season of rugby at the Ricoh Arena. The 16,902 attendance meant that the season’s average crowd had topped 15,000.
Wasps now have two weeks to prepare for their third meeting with Exeter inside six weeks, when the Chiefs enjoy home advantage in their first ever Premiership semi-final, which will be Wasps’ first in eight years.
Wasps Line ups
- Matt Mullan
- Ashley Johnson
- Lorenzo Cittadini
- Joe Launchbury
- Bradley Davies
- James Haskell
- Thomas Young
- Nathan Hughes
- Joe Simpson
- Ruaridh Jackson
- Josh Bassett
- Siale Piutau
- Elliot Daly
- Christian Wade
- Charles Piutau
- Ed Shervington
- Tom Bristow
- Phil Swainston
- Will Rowlands
- Sam Jones
- Dan Robson
- Jimmy Gopperth
- Rob Miller
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