BRaWL IN ThE GaME FOR BILLY
WASPS TURN UP THE HEAT AS GASKELL IGNITES THE PACK
WASPS boss Lee Blackett took the honours as his side outmuscled Exeter – coached by Rob Baxter OBE – for a bonus-point win.
Baxter was awarded a gong last week for leading his side to the European and domestic double last season but they were outgunned here.
Wasps were fully loaded – Chiefs had to rest a few – and bullied Exeter by picking a massive pack of forwards superbly led by Joe Launchbury.
Blackett’s masterstroke was shifting James Gaskell to blindside from his normal position of second row and it paid off with the 30-year-old having a blinder.
He scored two tries, owned the lineout and saved a try with a turnover on his own line as Wasps put themselves in the Premiership shake-up.
There was also a touchdown by full-back Lima Sopoaga and a late double from replacement prop
Simon McIntyre as
Wasps made the pounds count.
Blackett said:
“We talked about making a physical statement today.
“It’s a long time since we’ve picked Gaskell at six and it’s been a long time since we picked a pack as big as that. It was weight up front. Gaskell is massive at the lineout, on both sides of the ball. He added size.
“People underestimate how
Gloucester 19 Sale 22
BillY TWelveTRees could face further punishment for sparking a mass player brawl at the end of his side’s heartbreaking loss to sale.
The former england back (left) sent one of the water carriers flying on the touchline in his desperation to grab hold of the ball and make a quick restart after good a pack we’ve got – I think it’s one of our big strengths.”
This was Chiefs’ first loss of the new season on the pitch – they have won five out of five. Boss Baxter (left) took it on the chin and warned his side that more of the same against Bristol next week would lead to another reverse.
He said: “Rugby is a pretty honest game, you tend to win games you deserve to win and you tend to lose games you deserve to lose.
“We need to make sure we deserve to win against Bristol because if we do some of the things we did today we will lose.”
The writing was on the wall sale had taken the lead for the first time. Josh Beaumont’s try two minutes from the end at Kingsholm won the points for sharks whose flanker Tom curry had responded to Twelvetrees by shoving him to the ground.
Referee Karl Dickson eventually regained control and showed Twelvetrees a yellow card before sale could celebrate moving up after 19 minutes when Gaskell went over for his first and Wasps were better value for more than an 8-0 half-time lead.
Chiefs hit back when flanker Richard Capstick sprinted in from 25 metres but then Wasps’ big boys turned the screw.
Gaskell got his second and then Sopoaga went over after a break from Josh Bassett who had come off his wing to take the ball from Jacob Umaga.
Heavyweight prop McIntyre rumbled off the bench to score the fourth – when Chiefs had Capstick in the sin-bin – and then he finished the game off with another close-range score in added time. to fourth in the table while Gloucester remain slumped at the bottom.
sale caretaker boss Paul Deacon, who enjoyed his first win since taking over from steve Diamond, said: “We were under the pump for long spells and also found it tough to get that extra few yards over the line but the never-give-up attitude was great.”
The hosts led 16-9 at the break thanks to a pushover try from prop Fraser Balmain and then Welsh flyer louis Rees-Zammit showing his pace. Four AJ MacGinty penalties reduced the deficit to just one point before Beaumont came off the bench to be the hero after sale had camped on the line.
Gloucester coach George skivington admitted: “The result is disappointing.”