Wasps book semi-final spot with Munster

Wasps 34 Gloucester 3

English champions Wasps booked a Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Munster in Dublin after crushing outclassed Gloucester at the Causeway Stadium.

Wasps, seeking a European and domestic double this season, will travel to Lansdowne Road on April 25 for what should be an immense encounter.

And judging by today’s evidence, Wasps must have every chance of reaching their first Heineken Cup final, meeting either Toulouse or Biarritz at Twickenham next month.

They steamrollered Gloucester into submission, dominating the match territorially and taking their try-scoring opportunities in ruthless fashion.

Gloucester had no answer, finishing a distant second-best as Wasps, comfortably clear of their opponents in the Zurich Premiership, underlined a rich vein of form.

Scrum-half Rob Howley, hooker Trevor Leota, captain Lawrence Dallaglio and substitute Ayoola Erinle scored tries, while French referee Joel Jutge also awarded Wasps a penalty try, as if in acknowledgement of the home side’s physical supremacy.

Erinle bagged an injury-time breakaway score, while fly-half Alex King added three conversions and a penalty, his solitary three-pointer arriving just two minutes from time when Wasps mercilessly shut out the game after leading 19-3 at the break.

England skipper Dallaglio had a game to remember for all sorts of reasons, also being on the receiving end of a crunching collision with team-mate Paul Volley and collecting a yellow card when he blatantly cut off Gloucester’s possession from a ruck.

But Dallaglio will now lead Wasps into the penultimate knockout stage, having eclipsed their previous Heineken-Cup best of quarter-final appearances in 1998 and 2000.

Gloucester’s only hope of silverware this term now rests with the Premiership, but they will need to progress via the play-offs, which could mean an unnerving return appointment with Wasps away from home.

The Causeway Stadium was packed to its 10,000 capacity, with Gloucester’s travelling army of fans making a sizeable contribution towards an electric pre-match atmosphere.

Opening exchanges proved predictably fast and furious, and as both packs sparred for control, it was clear that attacking opportunities would be at a premium.

Wasps enjoyed a degree of territorial control, and their patience was rewarded on 18 minutes when then they conjured up a high-class try.

Howley, despite having hardly any space to work in, linked superbly with centre Stuart Abbott, and Abbott’s inside pass allowed the former Wales captain a free run that took him behind the Gloucester posts.

King landed the conversion, but the visitors were relieved to make a quick response when centre Henry Paul slotted a 40-metre penalty that ended the opening quarter 7-3 in Wasps’ favour.

Wasps though, relished the physical intensity of Heineken Cup rugby’s first all-English quarter-final since 2000, but it almost rebounded eight minutes before half-time.

Dallaglio and his back-row colleague Volley were involved in a sickening clash of heads that left both players flat out on the turf.

Gloucester prop Phil Vickery, realising the situation’s potential seriousness, waved to the referee to stop the game, and Dallaglio and Volley both required extensive treatment before continuing.

Gloucester could not get out of their own half, and they conceded a damaging score just three minutes before the break.

The Wasps forwards tried to drive a line-out deep inside Gloucester’s 22, and when the visiting forwards transgressed in cynical fashion, the referee immediately awarded a penalty try that King improved for a 14-3 lead.

It was a hammer-blow score for Gloucester to concede, and Wasps ended the half as they had started it – in control.

Gloucester had hooker Chris Fortey sin-binned for persistent offending during stoppage time, and Wasps struck a huge psychological blow immediately following his departure.

The home pack, making their one-man advantage count, rolled remorselessly towards Gloucester’s line, and Dallaglio claimed the touchdown that secured a 19-3 interval advantage.

Gloucester needed to score first in the second period, but Wasps stung them within two minutes.

Lock Simon Shaw carried the ball superbly deep behind enemy lines, and before the visitors could regroup in defence, Leota crashed over for Wasps’ fourth try that left their opponents in disarray.

Try number five almost followed six minutes later, as Gloucester again failed to cope with Wasps’ sheer physical presence with ball in hand.

Leota went close, and when possession was worked wide, it took a last-gasp Gloucester tackle to deny Wasps wing Tom Voyce.

Dallaglio then departed for 10 minutes midway through the half, but Gloucester could not make their temporary one-man advantage count.

With the game won, Dallaglio remained off the field when his 10-minute ‘breather’ elapsed, Mark Lock replacing him, and it was merely a question of whether off-colour Gloucester could register an consolation try.

Predictably, they failed, and Wasps’ Easter Sunday party began in earnest, players and supporters relishing the prospect of ruining Munster’s big day out.