Wasps in Superb Form

London Wasps sent out an emphatic message of intent to the rest of Europe with a devastating 34-3 victory over Gloucester in the all-England Heineken Cup quarter-final.

London Wasps sent out an emphatic message of intent to the rest of Europe with a devastating 34-3 victory over Gloucester in the all-England Heineken Cup quarter-final.

Their four-try demolition of the west countrymen at a packed Causeway Stadium set up a mouthwatering clash with Munster at Lansdowne Road on Sunday, April 25.

This is the first time that Wasps, the reigning Parker Pen Challenge Cup holders, have reached the semi-final stages of Europe’s premier competition, while mighty Munster will travel to Dublin for a record fifth successive semi-final.

Gloucester were unable to cope with the physicality of the home side, who tore into their visitors right from the start having been riled by Gloucester’s pre-match warm-up run around the ground in front of both their own and Wasps fans.

“They really did my team talk for me,” admitted Wasps coach Warren Gatland.

“You simply don’t do that here and when their fans started signing The Fields of Athenray they even got Craig Dowd fired up.”

Wasps enjoyed 70 per cent of the possession in the first half and turned that into a 19-3 lead by the interval.

The magnificent Rob Howley started and finished the first try with a neat blindside break. Alex King added the conversion to open a 7-0 lead after 17 minutes.

Henry Paul then hit the mark with a 40-metre penalty two minutes later but the game turned in a ten-minute spell just before the break.

At one stage it looked as thought the English champions might lose the services of back-row stars Paul Volley and skipper Lawrence Dallaglio when they were both laid out following a sickening clash of heads. It took three minutes of treatment before the two men were bravely able to carry on, but no sooner had they rejoined the fray than French referee Joel Jutge rewarded their efforts at the heart of the Wasps pack by giving a penalty try when Gloucester pulled down a driving lineout maul.

King added the simple conversion and then Gloucester’s woes worsened when hooker Chris Fortey was sent to the sin bin for driving into a ruck from the side before Dallaglio bagged a pushover try from another driving lineout.

It was not exactly all over at the break, but it became pretty clear cut that Wasps would be heading to Dublin when two minutes after the re-start the Heineken man of the match Trevor Leota drove over for his side’s third try.

To their credit, Gloucester never gave up and managed to apply some real preassure, notably when Dallaglio was sent to the sin bin for diving late into a maul midway through the second half.

But King slotted a 35-metre penalty to extend the lead to 24 points before replacement centre Ayoola Erinle raced half the length of the field to score an interception try after pouncing on a wayward midfield pass by Paul.

King’s conversion made victory complete and now Wasps are only one step away from a Heineken Cup final at Twickenham.

LONDON WASPS 34-3 GLOUCESTER

London Wasps: M Van Gisbergen; J Lewsey, F Waters, S Abbott, T Voyce; A King, R Howley; C Dowd, T Leota, W Green, S Shaw, R Birkett, J Worsley, P Volley, L Dallaglio (capt).

Replacements: T Payne, M Lock, B Gotting, M Purdy, H Biljon, M Denney, A Erinle,

Gloucester: J Goodridge; M Garvey, T Fanolua, H Paul, J Simpson-Daniel; D McRae, A Gomarsall; T Woodman, C Fortey, P Vickery, A Eustace, A Brown, J Boer (capt), A Hazell, J Paramore.

Replacements: D Du Preez, R Roncero, A Deacon, M Cornwell, P Buxton, S Amor, R Todd, Referee: Joel Jutge (France).