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Wasps see off Gloucester to climb to fifth
Wasps completed a hat-trick of Premiership wins with a bonus point 39-22 victory over Gloucester in a pulsating game at the Ricoh Arena. After wins over Saracens and London Irish, Wasps maintained their impressive form to climb to fifth place in the league table by scoring five tries.
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These came from Jack Willis, Jacob Umaga, Josh Bassett, Marcus Watson and Nizaam Carr. Jimmy Gopperth converted four and kicked a penalty with Dan Robson adding a drop goal.
Gloucester responded with tries from Tom Marshall, Ollie Thorley, Lloyd Evans and Billy Twelvetrees with Twelvetrees adding a conversion, but it was a fifth consecutive league defeat for them as their season continues to implode.
Wasps opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a spectacular try. Gloucester secured possession from a lineout on half-way but an alert Willis intercepted a pass from Callum Braley to run 50 metres and score. Gopperth converted before a neat drop goal from Robson gave Wasps a 10-point advantage at the end of an entertaining first quarter.
Despite the scoreline, Gloucester were competing fiercely and they secured a platform in the opposition 22. A well-judged pass from Evans had sent Lewis Ludlow haring away before Wasps picked up a yellow card when centre Malakai Fekitoa tackled an opponent without the ball.
(Continue reading below…)
World Rugby set to take action over tries scored at the butt of the post
However, the visitors conceded three penalties in quick succession to allow Wasps to freewheel up the field before scoring their second try. From a close-range lineout, Robson darted to the blindside to provide Bassett was an easy run-in.
Worse was to follow for Gloucester as they soon conceded a third try. An excellent long pass from Lima Sopoaga saw Watson collect and run 30 metres. The wing passed inside to Umaga, who easily side-stepped Louis Rees-Zammit to score.
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Fekitoa returned just in time to see Gloucester score two tries in quick succession. First Marshall ran strongly to beat off a tackle from Watson to score before another powerful burst from the full-back gave Thorley the chance to race in from 30 metres.
Marshall was certainly in the centre of the action as he was then sin-binned for tackling Sopoaga without the ball and Wasps immediately capitalised with a Carr try from a driving lineout.
Gloucester trailed 29-10 at the interval but they picked up the first score of the second half when Mark Atkinson’s run set up a try for Twelvetrees. Wasps responded with the eighth try of the game as Umaga’s long pass sent Watson over, but it was soon nine when Evans dummied his way over for Gloucester’s bonus point.
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At that stage, there were still 22 minutes remaining but at last the game drew breath and Gopperth’s penalty was the only score of the final quarter.
– Press Association
WATCH: Jim Hamilton discusses the ramifications of the Six Nations going behind a TV paywall
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments