Wasps maintain perfect start
Christian Wade scored a hat-trick on Sunday when Wasps beat Leicester 35-29 in the Aviva Premiership.
Last Updated: 11/09/11 6:00pm
Christian Wade scored a hat-trick on Sunday when Wasps beat Leicester 35-29 to condemn the Tigers to a second straight defeat at the start the new Aviva Premiership season.
Billy Twelvetrees scored all of Leicester's points with a brace of tries, two conversions and five penalties to at least secure a losing bonus point for the visitors.
In contrast, though, and after beating reigning champions Saracens at Twickenham last weekend, Wasps have enjoyed a dream start to their campaign, with the regime under new rugby director Dai Young now also claiming the scalp of the 2010 champions.
Wasps fielded five home debutants in Hugo Southwell, Chris Bell, Nicky Robinson, Marco Wentzel and Jonathan Poff. But they were missing scrum-half Charlie Davies, who failed a fitness-test an hour before kick-off and was replaced by Nic Berry.
Leicester, beaten at home by Exeter last weekend, are missing no fewer than 11 players on World Cup duty, with five players - including Jordan Crane, Craig Newby and Julian White - out injured.
But they put Wasps under pressure from the kick-off, and when flanker Poff went off his feet at the breakdown, Twelvetrees opened the scoring with a penalty.
Opportunity
Robinson then had the opportunity to equalise on nine minutes, but shanked his shot. The former Wales fly-half made amends, though, on 12 minutes when his penalty soared high and turned in late to equalise.
Twelvetrees struck again after 15 minutes - Wasps having been penalised at a scrum. The centre's penalty swung out wide before turning in late.
Twelvetrees then appeared on the end of a neat passing sequence to touch down. He crossed on the right having received a pass outside by Niall Morris before forcing his way past Robinson and Tom Varndell to squeeze over the line.
He then converted from wide out - the sort of expertise Robinson was unable to match on 22 minutes when his long-range penalty sailed wide to leave Wasps 10 points adrift.
Varndell looked dangerous whenever he was on the ball, and he chased down full-back Scott Hamilton after kicking ahead to force a penalty. Wasps opted for a lineout, however, which the Tigers cleared.
They got their reward, though, on 27 minutes - and after some enterprising rugby: Southwell broke out from deep, Wade's pace on the right flank left two would-be tacklers trailing, and his pass inside sent Berry scooting clear for a try which Robinson converted.
Wade scored a fine try of his own after 35 minutes. Varndell did the damage up the left wing, drawing in three tacklers before being hauled down. Wasps then played the ball right, with Wade racing home and Robinson again converting.
Back stormed Tigers, with fly-half George Ford making an incisive break off the back of a ruck and passing inside for Twelvetrees to score by the post and also convert.
Robinson thought he had levelled on the stroke of half-time, but his penalty from wide right struck the near post and bounced wide.
Twelvetrees continued to monopolise Leicester's scoring five minutes after the break with a penalty, but Wasps replied with the try of the match.
Memorable
There seemed no obvious danger when Southwell passed right to Wade deep inside their own half. However, the young wing then shaped to pass twice before sprinting into the Tigers' half and swerving outside two challengers for a memorable score.
Robinson's conversion hit the post - his fourth failure from seven shots at goal - and he limped out of the game seconds later, replaced by Ryan Davis who put his team in front on 53 minutes with his first penalty.
Twelvetrees regained the lead for Leicester with a 64th-minute penalty after Wasps went offside in front of their posts.
But the see-saw tipped Wasps' way again on 69 minutes - the fifth time the lead had changed hands - when Davis scored.
And when Wade darted behinds two defenders to win a race for a box-kick from Berry, victory was assured.
