Wasps take 15-point lead into second leg

Wasps 34 Pontypridd 19

Two power house tries from heavyweight prop Craig Dowd helped Wasps take a 15-point lead into the second leg of Europe’s Parker Pen Challenge Cup semi-final.

Despite a valiant rearguard defensive action, Pontypridd have it all to do at Sardis Road in the second leg in a fortnight if they are to wipe out the deposit and reach the final for the second successive year after losing to Sale last season.

Lawrence Dallaglio, showing absolutely no signs of fatigue from his Grand Slam excursions with England, and Wales’ most capped scrum-half Rob Howley provided the experience axis to set up Wasps victory.

Howley may have ended his international career at the end of last season but he still makes Wasps buzz while the strong-running Dallaglio was always looking to charge through the opening to support the Welsh side to defend desperately.

But it was Dowd, the 18-and-a-half stone New Zealander, whose two first half tries put the home side on the victory path.

The first came in the 14th minute when Wasps, who had got the worst of a couple of rolling mauls in the opening stages, turned the tables to take down over the line near the right hand corner flag.

Fly-half Alex King added the points from the touchline with the first of his four conversions and two penalties.

After Dowd appeared to cross the line again, only to have the try ruled out for an earlier infringement, Wasps swiftly struck again to increase their lead with a 26th-minute penalty try.

Scotland wing three-quarter Kenny Logan kicked ahead and was a racing certainty to touch down when he was hauled back by Pontypridd scrum-half Gareth Baber who was immediately despatched to the sin bin before King again converted.

Pontypridd’s Rob Sidoli, one of the few successes of the Wales team which took the RBS 6 Six Nations wooden spoon, looked unlucky not to be allowed the advantage only to be brought back for a throw because of an opposition knock-on.

But the Welsh side maintained their spell of momentum and were rewarded when fly-half Ceri Sweeney swerved out of a tackle by full-back Mark Van Gisbergen and, despite being tackled by three Wasps players on the line, reached out for a fingertip touchdown to leave full-back Brett Davey an easy conversion.

Wasps restored their 14-point lead when Dowd forced his way over after Howley, who had sold a sublime dummy, was stopped just short of the line.

But Pontypridd pulled themselves back into the match as three penalties from Davey to two by King cut the Wasps lead to 27-16.

It looked as though Pontypridd’s spirited display of tackling would keep them in touch for the second leg but Wasps made their pressure and overwhelming territorial advantage finally tell.

Dallaglio was again the creator before right wing three-quarter John Rudd burst in from the touchline to race clear and touch down between the posts, leaving King another easy conversion to take his contribution to 14 points.

Davey matched that with his fourth penalty in injury time but Wasps go into the second leg as clear favourites for a place in the final.