Wasps set up final date with Gloucester

Wasps 19 Northampton 10

Wasps and Gloucester – English rugby’s top two clubs this season – will come face to face in a Zurich Premiership title showdown at Twickenham on May 31.

Lawrence Dallaglio’s team booked their grand final place after 14 points from fly-half Alex King helped them subdue play-off semi-final opponents Northampton tonight.

Although Wasps finished 15 points behind Gloucester over the 22-game regular league season they now find themselves in a winner-takes-all confrontation with the Premiership title at stake.

Gloucester have never been crowned English champions, while Wasps last achieved the feat in 1997.

Centre Fraser Waters scored Wasps’ solitary try – an opportunist kick and chase just before half-time – but they had a supreme tactical operator in King, who guided them home by kicking three penalties, a drop-goal and conversion.

England wing Ben Cohen briefly raised Saints’ hopes through a 42nd-minute touchdown, yet the Wasps forwards ultimately held sway and they can now roll on towards a heavyweight clash with Gloucester’s juggernaut pack in two weeks’ time.

Northampton went into the game with acute injury problems after booking a play-off place by pipping Sale Sharks for third spot on the final day of regular league season action last weekend.

International quartet Matt Dawson (thigh), Budge Pountney (neck), Tom Smith (broken toe) and Peter Jorgensen (thumb) all missed tonight’s Adams Park clash.

Wasps in contrast paraded a full-strength side, with centre Stuart Abbott, scrum-half Rob Howley and hooker Trevor Leota recalled to the starting XV after missing the shock home defeat against Harlequins seven days ago.

Wing Kenny Logan almost got Wasps off to a flier, narrowly missing the target with a superbly struck 50-metre penalty attempt, but Northampton’s escape was brief.

Dallaglio and Craig Dowd both powered to within inches of the Saints line, and when Northampton’s forwards infringed, King slotted an easy penalty chance to reward ominous territorial dominance.

Any hopes that Northampton had of relieving the pressure were dashed when Cohen kicked to touch on the full despite having other options available.

The last thing Saints needed was another injury setback but fly-half Paul Grayson required lengthy treatment after a hasty defensive clearance under pressure from Wasps’ dynamic back row left him hobbling.

Grayson continued but his night ended just minutes later when he was forced off sporting a heavily-strapped right ankle, to be replaced by James Brooks.

Wasps continued to make their presence felt in and around Saints’ 22, yet they entered the second quarter with only King’s penalty to display as a tangible reward.

And that slender advantage was wiped out in the 26th minute when New Zealander Bruce Reihana, goalkicking deputy for Grayson, drew Northampton level through a 35-metre strike.

But, undeterred by Reihana’s efforts, Wasps continued battering away, establishing another menacing attacking base.

Howley looked to have put his fellow Lion Dallaglio and it took three Saints defenders to haul down England’s number eight, possession squirting clear and Northampton once again holding out.

King slotted his second penalty just before the break, edging Wasps back in front, and then they finished the half with a flourish.

Scrappy midfield play from Northampton offered Wasps the glimmer of a chance and Waters gratefully accepted it, kicking clear before gathering and diving over for an opportunist try that King converted.

It gave Wasps a 10-point half-time lead – and left Northampton with a mountain to climb.

Saints coach Wayne Smith made an interval substitution, replacing lock Rob Hunter with Wales international Steve Williams and Northampton cut their deficit immediately.

Skipper John Leslie ran menacingly in midfield and Cohen had just enough space to display his trademark power and pace, squeezing over wide out before Reihana converted brilliantly from the touchline.

Cohen’s score stung Wasps, whose line was hardly threatened during the opening period, but Northampton then had prop Matt Stewart yellow-carded.

Wasps predictably responded to Cohen’s try by storming upfield but Stewart deliberately and illegally prevented the home side securing quick possession and was sin-binned by referee Chris White.

King struck the resulting penalty, giving Wasps a 16-10 lead on 47 minutes as Saints paid for Stewart’s transgression.

A searing 40-metre Howley break opened up Northampton’s defence with Stewart still off but the prop returned, having cost his team that solitary King penalty, when it could have been far worse.

King extended Wasps’ advantage through a 61st-minute drop-goal and there was no way back after that for a hugely spirited Saints side, whose crippling casualty count finally took its toll.

They lost number eight Andrew Blowers six minutes from time when the former All Blacks star limped off and Wasps expertly played down the clock.

Next up, it is Bath in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup final tomorrow week, then Gloucester at Twickenham. With two trophies on offer, it could be some finish to Wasps’ campaign.