Wade hits top form as Wasps breeze past Worcester
WILLIE Le Roux hammered out an ominous warning to England with a virtuoso display as Wasps took advantage of Leicester’s slip to roar up to third.
Secure under the high ball and deadly in attack, the Springbok full-back laid on two tries for re-energised wing Christian Wade and demonstrated his organisational abilities as Wasps were twice reduced to 14 but kept Worcester scoreless both times.
Wasps supremo Dai Young believes both Le Roux and centre Juan De Jongh may well feature against England this summer, revealing:
“I’ve met with (South Africa head coach) Rassie Erasmus and told him Willie’s been excellent all season.
“What Willie does really well is scan space. He’s got X-factor in his hands and the tries he created for Christian epitomised that.
“Juan De Jongh’s been in great form as well and I wouldn’t be surprised if both of those are involved against England this summer.”
Early Worcester pressure went unrewarded and Wasps were ruthlessly efficient from their first attack, Will Rowlands taking a lineout before the ball whizzed through the back-line to Wade, who burned outside Chris Pennell to score.
Worcester responded but Michael Dowsett was unable to grasp Jack Singleton’s offload, and they were punished again when, following Jimmy Gopperth’s break and good link play from Thomas Young, Gopperth smashed over a penalty.
Danny Cipriani did well to scrag Sam Lewis as he threatened a break, but then failed to roll away, handing Dorian Jones an easy three-pointer.
Wasps soon hit their stride, though, and with Cipriani directing affairs and Joe Launchbury, Jack Willis and Guy Thompson softening Worcester’s rearguard, pressure eventually told as Launchbury steamrollered GJ Van Velze to score.
Their third try followed quickly – and what a peach it was as Le Roux, who had set up Wade’s first try, repeated the dose by slashing through Worcester’s midfield from inside his own half before releasing the wing for another scintillating finish.
Wasps suffered a blow when the influential Cipriani departed after a head knock, but Gopperth slotted his second penalty for a 23-3 half-time lead.
Willis was sin-binned soon after the restart for a tip tackle on Pennell, leaving Wasps short-handed and enabling Warriors to threaten through Ben Te’o.
Wasps looked to have bagged the try bonus when Thompson sauntered over from Wade’s pass after good work from Daly, Le Roux and Lovobalavu, but the TMO concluded Gopperth had impeded Andrew Kitchener and he went to the bin.
Worcester’s reprieve was brief, though, as Jamie Shillcock’s pass was picked off by Josh Bassett, who roared home from halfway, before the visitors roused themselves late on to bag consolation tries from Dean Hammond and Adams.