Blackett warns Wasps: This was not final

WASPS head coach Lee Blackett expects his players to keep their heads and peak for the final in two weeks’ time under the guidance of captain Joe Launchbury.

Blackett said: “Joe addressed the team afterwards, and his big comment was to enjoy it, but that we haven’t played our final.

“Sometimes you think you have played your final to get there, and there is a lot of emotion gone in, so we just need to control ourselves.

“Yes, enjoy it, but in two weeks’ time we have got a big game coming up. It is about keeping our emotions under wraps.”

Man-of-the-match Jack Willis said: “I can’t tell you how hard we’ve worked to get here.

“I think the first half of the season was frustrating for us but it’s been so special what we have done since the lockdown and we can’t wait for the next couple of weeks.”

It was a day to forget for Pat Lam’s Bristol, who had reached the playoffs after recording their highest points tally in a regular top-flight season.

“We made it tough on ourselves,” he said. “This doesn’t take away from the effort of the season, but unfortunately we have to take some of these hits on our journey.

“It’s certainly one of the games that will make us stronger.”

Lam rued first-half errors which gifted Wasps the lead.

“We turned the ball over 23 times and we gave away eight penalties on attack, which meant we couldn’t get a foothold in the game,” Lam said.

“At half-time we said there was no rocket science involved. We didn’t fire a shot because we made too many errors – but you have got to give a lot of credit to Wasps.

“When I was coaching at Connacht and looking at the Premiership, there was no mention of Bristol, and probably at the start of the season probably nobody predicted that Bristol would be in play-off rugby.

“To grow and get to the sort of team we want to be, we’ve got to be playing in this sort of rugby.”