Wasps sting Tigers to stay in race

Wasps 26, Leicester 13

The London club’s director of rugby admitted he knew a defeat against the reigning Premiership champions would have confined his side to mid-table rugby for the remainder of the season. The win, however, keeps Wasps firmly in the running at the top of the table alongside Gloucester, Leeds and Northampton.

The New Zealander said: “Our season was on the line today. We knew that a loss would have kept us in the mid-table for the rest of the season and that was not where we wanted to be. A win though keeps us at the top end of the table.

“If we play with the enthusiasm we had in the last 20 minutes of the game then we can compete against any team in the league. We haven’t been consistent enough in the past and that is where we have let ourselves down.”

Leicester director of rugby Dean Richards said: “We have lost three Premiership matches in a row now and that is not acceptable.

“It does make us concerned about making the play-off. We have got some hard games to come as well. We now need to turn it around. We have had a habit of turning it around in the second half of the season and this is what we’ve got to make sure happens now.”

Wasps scorers: Tries: Lewsey, Howley. Cons: A. King 2. Pens: A. King 3. Drop Goals: A. King.

WASPS: van Gisbergen, Lewsey, Waters, Abbott, Rudd, A. King, Howley, Dowd, Leota, W. Green, Shaw, Birkett, Worsley, Volley, Dallaglio.

Leicester scorers: Tries: Ellis. Cons: Stimpson. Pens: Stimpson 2.

LEICESTER: Stimpson, Holtby, Smith, Kafer, Tuilagi, Vesty, Ellis, Jelley, West, Garforth, M. Johnson, Kay, W. Johnson, Kronfeld, Balding.

Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU).