Gloucester stop Wasps from going top
GLOUCESTER produced their best performance of the season to stifle Wasps and prevent them from going to the top of the table.
The fiercely committed hosts carried out their rigid game-plan in exemplary fashion with skipper, Will Heinz, leading from the front with some superb tactical kicking.
Heinz said: “We executed our kick and chase game to perfection and after losing a number of games to small margins, it was important that we were able to close this game out.”
Heinz and half-back partner, Billy Burns, benefitted from an old-fashioned Gloucester pack performance which had their opponents struggling from the start.
In attack and defence, Richard Hibbard and Ben Morgan bludgeoned Wasps into submission.
Centres, Mark Atkinson and Matt Scott, carried on the excellent defensive work as the visitors just could not get any attacking rhythm.
Under constant pressure up front, Wasps badly missed the firepower of skipper, Joe Launchbury, Nathan Hughes and James Haskell as only two-try flanker, Thomas Young, made any significant contribution against the cherry and white tide.
Behind the scrum, Dan Robson, kicked away too much possession although Wasps improved when Joe Simpson was introduced as he tried to energise his attacking runners.
There were occasional neat touches from Danny Cipriani and Kyle Eastmond and one excellent first half run from Rob Miller but it was nowhere near enough to put Gloucester off their game.
Christian Wade epitomised Wasps’ afternoon with a miserable performance. His handling was poor and was once unceremoniously brushed aside by Henry Purdy.
A penalty from James Hook gave Gloucester an early lead before both sides scored tries from driving lineouts.
Young was first on the board for Wasps before Hibbard replied for the hosts. Hook converted but just before half-time, he was short with a long distance penalty but Gloucester still deservedly held a 10-5 advantage at the interval.
Wasps began the second half strongly and two penalties from Jimmy Gopperth put them back in front.
Hook should have regained the lead for his side but missed a straightforward penalty. However it mattered little as an error from Cipriani gifted the hosts their second try.
His clearance was charged down by prop John Afoa and when the fly-half tried to retrieve his mistake, his fumble allowed Atkinson to pick up and score.
It got worse for Wasps when they conceded another try after a strong run from Atkinson was supported by Scott, who picked up to force his way over.
Robson was replaced by Simpson as Wasps threw caution to the wind and they were narrowly denied by the TMO before Young scored his second try and a tense finish looked likely.
However, the match was sealed when first Sharples easily won the race to a long kick ahead from Heinz for a bonus point before Wasps’ misery was completed when Purdy scored a fifth, a minute from time.