We’re making errors at key moments, says Bears boss
LI Crossdale scored two tries on his debut as Wasps kicked off their Gallagher Premiership campaign with an impressive 44-8 thumping of Bristol Bears.
Wasps had the opening weekend off but ensured it was worth the wait for the crowd inside the CBS Arena as some clinical finishing and superb defence helped them dispatch last year’s semi-finalists.
They did have captain Brad Shields, another of their try scorers, sent off in the closing stages, but by that point the result was in the bag against a Bristol side who have now lost both of their fixtures this season.
Callum Sheedy kicked the first points of the match for Bristol after just three minutes, although Jacob Umaga should have cancelled this out as he sent a penalty of his own wide from a central position.
The Bears lost hooker Harry Thacker to injury with eight minutes gone and suffered a further setback when Wasps clicked for the opening try. It came from Umaga doing well to wriggle out of a tight area before passing the ball left for
Crossdale, one of four players in the hosts’ line-up making their debut, who raced away to score in the corner.
Umaga could not add the conversion, but it was third time lucky from the tee for the fly-half when he sent over a penalty to increase his side’s lead to 8-3.
Shields was then sin-binned after the hosts conceded a succession of penalties, and Bristol pressure eventually told as prop Max Lahiff bundled over from close range to level the match.
Parity did not last long, however, as Umaga’s second penalty quickly nudged Wasps back in front and the gap was extended to eight points four minutes before halftime. Dan Robson spotted Crossdale in space on the right and threw a terrific pass that sent the full-back through a gap for a fairly simple finish.
Wasps were able to pick up where they left off at the start of the second half, as Shields managed to rumble his way over with the help of a couple of his fellow forwards.
Bristol thought they had a route back into the game when Chris
Vui’s pass gave Dan Thomas a walkin, but the try was ruled out for obstruction by Charles Piutau on Robson during the previous phase.
The match was over as a contest in the 64th minute. Replacement hooker Dan Frost, another Wasps new boy, picked up the loose ball following a turnover and sprinted clear from 40 metres.
Shields was sent off shortly afterwards, but Wasps still had two more tries in them, with Tom Willis going clear from Josh Bassett’s offload before Zach Kibirige took advantage of a Bristol fumble off the final play.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said: “We’ve been in this situation many times.
“The Premiership is all about 24 rounds now - points are on offer every time and once you don’t get them, you learn and we move on to the next round.
“We didn’t perform like we wanted to, we turned the ball over too many times.
“We’ve had opportunities in both games, all winnable, but we are our own worst enemies; we’re making errors at key moments.
“We had one line break down the left-hand side and could have passed the ball, but we didn’t pass the ball.
“We then got turned over, 50-22, try, so that was a big turnaround in two or three minutes, where we could have really put pressure on them, but we ended up putting it on ourselves.
“Our game-plan creates opportunities, but at the end of the day, players will make mistakes. That’s how they will learn.”
Wasps head coach Lee Blackett was just as impressed with his side’s defence, despite their attack catching the eye in their demolition of the Bears.
Blackett said: “I think the way we held them out at times was outstanding. It’s something we’ve worked hard on with Matt Everard, our defence coach.
“We really worked hard on it in the off-season and to see it come out there and see how good we were close to our line - because we put ourselves under pressure.
“I think we gave too many penalties away, but our resilience close to the line was the most pleasing thing.
“I was really pleased with how we reacted (to Shields’ red card), with our resilience close to our line.
“It would have been easy as well, with the scoreline towards the end, to fold over close to our line, but that’s not what we’re about.
“Whenever you’re coming up against Bristol, you know how dangerous they are and you know that, defensively, you’ve got to be at your best.”
Wasps: Crossdale; Watson (Kibrige, 72), Fekitoa (Gopperth, 41), Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Umaga, Robson (Porter, 77); Hislop (Harris, 62), Cruse (Morris, 60), ToomagaAllen (Alo, 66), Fifita, Stooke, Shields, Oghre (Frost, 60), T Willis (Cardall, 71).
Sin Bin: Shields (24).
Sent Off: Shields (72).
Bristol: Piutau (Randall, 66), Adeolokun (Purdy, 55), O’Connor, Leiua (Bedlow, 39), Lloyd, Sheedy Uren, Y Thomas (Woolmore, 61), Thacker (Capon, 8), Lahiff (Armstrong, 62), Attwood (Holmes, 66), Vui, Luatua D. Thomas, Hughes (Heenan, 62).