ALI SETS THE PACE
New boy off to flying start
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by
BOSS Lee Blackett watched new boy Ali Crossdale burn up the Bears on his Wasps debut – and predicted the only way is up for the flyer.
Wasps had skipper Brad Shields (right) sent off with 12 minutes left after getting the first and second yellow cards of his club career but held on due to a rock-solid defence.
They also lost centre Malakai Fekitoa with a dislocated shoulder at halftime but dug deep to run away with it in the end.
Crossdale, 23, who arrived from Saracens in the summer and was in Eddie Jones’ shadow squad during the Six Nations, scored twice in the first half when he left Bears for dead.
Blackett said: “You saw how fast he is. He is someone who has got that ability to beat people with out-and-out pace.
“I think it was only his third Premiership start or appearance at fullback and he’s still young.
“There is plenty more to come.”
Bristol lost hooker Harry Thacker, centre Alapati Leiua and fullback Charles Piutau to injury but were their own worst enemies, butchering chances and dishing out penalties to go from 8-8 to 44-8 in 50 minutes. Boss Pat Lam said: “We created opportunities but were not good enough to take them. We didn’t perform like we wanted to, we turned the ball over too many times.
“But every dog gets his day and we haven’t had our day – our day will come.”
Crossdale’s first try on 12 minutes came when Fekitoa kept three defenders occupied and fly-half Jacob Umaga put the full-back away.
Prop Max Lahiff drove over to level it at 8-8 before Umaga nailed a penalty, his third attempted kick, to edge the hosts in front.
Robbed
Crossdale showed his pace for the second time on 35 minutes after a drive from Tom Willis and Dan Robson’s pass. Then Shields went over after Robson robbed Bristol scrum-half Andy Uren, and another Wasps debutant, hooker Dan Frost, ran in.
Shields saw red on 68 minutes with Bears on the Wasps line but substitute prop Ben Harris came to the rescue with two turnovers.
Then the hard-press defence created run-ins for the superb Willis and Zach Kibirige, off the bench, to finish the rout. WASPS: Tries: Crossdale (2), Shields, Frost, Willis, Kibirige.
Cons: Umaga, Gopperth (3). Pens: Umaga (2).
BRISTOL: Tries: Lahiff. Pen: Sheedy.