Wasps reclaim top spot
Wasps reclaimed top spot in the Guinness Premiership table with a comfortable 23-3 victory over Worcester at Adams Park.
Last Updated: 21/09/09 10:57am
Wasps reclaimed top spot in the Guinness Premiership table with a comfortable 23-3 victory over Worcester at Adams Park.
Serge Betson's try opened the scoring for Wasps before Danny Cipriani added two penalties and two drop-goals to his conversion to extend the advantage to 16-0.
Fly-half Willie Walker finally got Worcester on the board with a 71st minute penalty, but a late try from Tom Varndell and Cipriani conversion gave a more deserved look to the scoreline.
A third win out of three saw Wasps replace fellow 100 percent team Saracens at the Premiership summit.
What chances there were in a scrappy game went Wasps' way, with Australian centre Ben Jacobs and Varndell both heavily involved in an enterprising opening.
Power
Jacobs twice broke the Worcester defence with powerful runs, the first on to a delightful flat pass from Cipriani before Varndell left flanker Tom Wood standing with an electric break down the wing.
Wasps then twice spurned a penalty shot at goal in favour of the lineout but Worcester defended well, first keeping out George Skivington and then securing a turnover to clear their lines.
But Wasps continued to dominate and Dominic Waldouck raced on to a pass from Cipriani to carve his way through a giant gap in the Worcester defence.
Chris Latham caught Waldouck with a tap tackle but he popped the ball up for the marauding Betsen, who scored next to the posts and presented Cipriani with a simple conversion.
Latham attempted to spark a Worcester response with a glorious take under the high ball but the Warriors could not break Wasps down.
Cagey
The first quarter of the second half was a cagey affair. Worcester fly-half Walker, who had missed a first-half penalty, scuffed a drop-goal attempt but the Warriors threatened with little else.
Wasps could not get going either. Paul Sackey was a virtual spectator until he combined with Varndell, who arrowed towards the line, after Cipriani had launched a swift attack.
Varndell was halted but Wasps drew the penalty and Cipriani picked himself up from the floor, having received treatment for a hip injury suffered in the move, to slot the points.
Cipriani took another blow later in the game but he continued and drilled two drop goals either side of a penalty from Walker to seal the victory for Wasps.
Varndell then applied the coup de grace in the final minute after Waldouck had launched a counter-attack and then angled his kick infield.
Varndell gathered and had a clear run for the line to score his fifth try in three games since moving from Leicester in the summer.
