In-form Wasps thrash title rival Bristol Bears
Wasps continued their charge towards the Gallagher Premiership play-offs by crushing title rivals Bristol 59-35 at the Ricoh Arena.
Bristol boss Pat Lam made 12 changes from the team that beat Northampton five days ago, seemingly with one eye on next Friday’s European Challenge Cup quarter-final against the Dragons.
And Wasps showed no mercy, claiming a try bonus point after just 18 minutes – the second-quickest time in Premiership history – after flanker Jack Willis, wing Josh Bassett, hooker Tom Cruse and lock Will Rowlands touched down
Jimmy Gopperth added three conversions, and there was no way back for Bristol as Wasps made it nine wins in their last 10 Premiership games.
It means they will hold a top-three place going into the final two rounds of regular season action, but Bristol, who were two points ahead of Wasps before kick-off, will be fourth at best.
Wasps finished Bristol off with further scores from Zach Kibirige, Dan Robson, Tom Willis, Gabriel Oghre and a penalty try, with Gopperth adding three more conversions as Wasps topped 50 points for a second successive Premiership game.
Fly-half Max Malins, meanwhile, dominated Bristol’s scoring, posting two tries and kicking four conversions for an 18-point haul, while centre Piers O’Conor also touched down and there was a late penalty try and Peter McCabe score as they claimed a losing bonus point.
Captain Joe Launchbury made his 150th Wasps appearance, and was partnered in the second-row by Wales international Rowlands, while the Willis brothers Jack and Tom packed down together in a powerful back-row.
And Wasps flew out of the blocks, going ahead with just 40 seconds gone after flanker Brad Shields charged down an attempted Bristol clearance by scrum-half Chris Cook, and Jack Willis finished off.
Gopperth missed the touchline conversion attempt, but Wasps had already served notice of their blistering form, and worse was to come for the visitors.
This time they were undone by Bassett’s fine run that took him inside and outside Bristol defenders, and the visitors could not lay a finger on him as he touched down and Gopperth converted.
The one-way traffic proved unrelenting, and Wasps had a bonus point inside the opening quarter as Cruse touched down following a driving maul, then Rowlands scored following sustained pressure.
Gopperth converted both tries and Wasps led 26-0, with Bristol seemingly down and out with still over an hour of the game remaining.
Bristol did not mount a meaningful attack until the 22nd minute, and the only blemish for Wasps was seeing prop Kieran Brookes go off injured.
Bristol, to their credit, kept Wasps scoreless for most of the second quarter and managed two quality tries of their own as Malins claimed a fine individual score, before linking with O’Conor three minutes later.
Malins’ two conversions made it 26-14 at, but Wasps struck again before the interval when Kibirige showcased his pace to cross wide out.
And Kibirige was involved again six minutes after the restart, sprinting clear before finding Robson with an inside pass, and the scrum-half finished easily, before Gopperth’s conversion took Wasps 24 points clear.
A penalty try then followed after Wasps’ exerted scrum pressure that Bristol could not cope with, taking the home side past 40 points, before Saracens loan signing Malins served further notice of his quality by collecting his team’s third touchdown.
But Wasps scored an eighth try 11 minutes from time – number eight Tom Willis the beneficiary of more aggressive work by the forwards – and all Bristol had left was to strive for a try-scoring losing bonus point.
And it arrived via a penalty try in the 73rd minute, yet Wasps typically scored try number nine, via substitute hooker Oghre, then McCabe’s close-range effort and Malins conversion completed the scoring.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments