REPORT: Wasps 70 - 22 Bristol Rugby

Tries from Jack Lam, Mitch Eadie and Gaston Cortes were cancelled out by braces from Ashley Johnson, Christian Wade and Elliot Daly - while Tommy Taylor, Jake Cooper-Woolley, Matt Symons and Danny Cipriani also crossed for the hosts.

Almost straight from the kick-off, an early infringement saw the home side kick to the corner and from the resulting lineout, Tommy Taylor crashed over for the game’s opening score.

Gopperth’s conversion was wide of the mark, but Tusi Pisi found the target with a penalty on 14 minutes to narrow the deficit.

The Wasps number twelve soon made amends for his earlier miss, knocking over two penalties in four minutes to give his side an 11-3 lead – and on 23 minutes, Danny Cipriani’s cross-field kick rebounded off the corner flag, allowing Elliot Daly to scoop up the loose ball and touch down in the corner.

Jake Cooper-Wooley powered over for Wasps’ third score with Gopperth adding the extras – and two tries in as many minutes from Matt Symons and Christian Wade gave the hosts a 37-3 lead at the break.

Bristol made a far more positive start to the second half and registered their first try of the afternoon when Jack Lam powered over from close range after Ross McMillan had gone close from a five metre lineout.

But Wasps hit back with immediacy, as Wade sliced through the visiting defence to give Gopperth the simplest of conversions.

Ashley Johnson scored the hosts’ seventh of the afternoon and Cipriani raced away for an eighth on the hour mark.

Mitch Eadie then picked a neat line off Roberts to touch down for Bristol’s second try on 62 minutes, before Ashley Johnson bundled over for his second of the half six minutes later.

Back came Bristol and after a neat offload from James Phillips, Gaston Cortes scored from close range to give the visitors hope of a four-try bonus-point.

Wasps weren’t done though and Elliot Daly grabbed his second of the afternoon, while Gopperth’s conversion made it 70-22 with five minutes left to play.  

But a scrappy final period ensued and a late knock-on saw proceedings brought to a close by referee Tim Wigglesworth.

Teams:

Bristol Rugby: Jordan Williams, Ryan Edwards, William Hurrell (Mosses 65), Thretton Palamo, Tom Varndell, Tusi Pisi (Jarvis 67), Will Cliff (Roberts 50); Ryan Bevington (Tonga’uiha 40), Ross McMillan (Brooker 50), Anthony Perenise (Cortes 67), Ian Evans (Phillips 50), Joe Joyce, Jack Lam (c) (Crane 60), Olly Robinson, Mitch Eadie.

Replacements: Chris Brooker, Soane Tonga’uiha, Gaston Cortes, James Phillips, Jordan Crane, Martin Roberts, Adrian Jarvis, Ben Mosses.

Wasps: Rob Miller (Eastmond 50), Christian Wade (Bassett 58), Elliot Daly, Jimmy Gopperth, Frank Halai, Danny Cipriani, Joe Simpson (Hampson 58); Simon McIntyre (Mullan 50), Tommy Taylor (Johnson 40), Jake Cooper-Woolley (Swainston 58), Matt Symons (Myall 50), James Gaskell, Alex Rieder, Thomas Young, Guy Thompson (Hughes 38).

Replacements: Ashley Johnson, Matt Mullan, Phil Swainston, Kearnan Myall, Nathan Hughes, Craig Hampson, Kyle Eastmond, Josh Bassett.

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth