Rugby: Dallaglio back with bang

Lawrence Dallaglio admits he could have done more to help Wasps in their season of crisis - but now he is back, the former England skipper is intent on making up for lost time.

Dallaglio inspired the London outfit to their startling 36-24 triumph over champions-elect Leicester at Loftus Road yesterday.

On his first full appearance since undergoing major knee surgery during the summer, Dallaglio’s abrasive approach proved too much for the Tigers and helped ease Wasps’ relegation fears.

‘‘When I got injured, I just kept out of the way and shut myself out of the whole world,’’ said the powerful number eight.

‘‘I probably didn’t play as much of a role in the club as I could have done but I thought I was doing the best thing for everyone.

‘‘We have had a few injuries this season but we are honest enough to look at our squad and the big names we have and acknowledge we haven’t played to our potential.

‘‘Year on year we have been quite competitive. This season we haven’t been.’’

On yesterday’s evidence, Wasps should have been bankers for a top-four slot, rather than their current berth in the bottom half of the table, even now just five points off the foot of the league.

With Alex King landing seven penalties, Kenny Logan a further three and King’s two drop-goals, Wasps punished every Leicester transgression.

And though the visitors scored the only tries through Freddie Tuilagi and Steve Booth, even Tigers director of rugby Dean Richards admitted his side were well beaten at the end.

It was Leicester’s first defeat since November and only their third league reverse all season.

And while it is only a minor setback in their hunt for a fourth successive Premiership crown, according to Richards, it provided a timely kick up the backside ahead of next month’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Llanelli.

‘‘Everybody expected Lawrence Dallaglio to be an inspirational figure for Wasps,’’ said the former England international.

‘‘He played extremely well, but we allowed him to. The amount of times he slowed our ball down or killed it altogether was incredible. We showed him too much respect.

‘‘We have the players who can provide us with what we want, but we have been in the comfort zone

for too long.

‘‘We will have to step up a gear if we are to achieve anything this season.’’

Bristol scored six tries in a Zurich Premiership game for the first time since beating Bedford in April 2000 and Harlequins, who picked up a bonus for their four tries, remain at the foot at the table following a 43-27 defeat.

‘‘When we were 17-3 in front we showed our inexperience because we weren’t sure what to do next to take the game on as we lacked a bit of confidence,’’ said Bristol head coach Dean Ryan.

Rob Andrew was relieved to see his Newcastle side end their barren run in the Zurich Premiership with an emphatic win over Sale at Kingston Park. The Falcons scored three second-half tries to run out convincing winners after Sale had held the home side to a 9-5 lead at the break.

‘‘You could see that we just lacked that little bit of confidence, but in the second half that confidence started to grow and we looked a good side doing the things that we know we are capable of doing,’’ said Andrew.

Leeds Tykes’ director of rugby Phil Davies tipped his side to beat relegation after the narrow defeat to London Irish. The Zurich Premiership strugglers outplayed Heineken Cup hopefuls Irish for long periods at Headingley but, despite a late rally Davies’ men, were edged out 29-24.

‘‘We’re still in there fighting and this is going to go right to the end of the season,’’ said Davies.