Wasps march on with hard-fought win

Calvisano 22 Wasps 31

Defending Heineken Cup champions Wasps continued their march towards the quarter-finals with a hard-fought victory at Calvisano’s San Michele ground today.

The 100th Cup game involving an Italian club was not one to remember for the home fans – despite a brave fourth-quarter comeback by their side.

The crowd was soon deflated by the skills of a superior Wasps side missing Lawrence Dallaglio and match-winning fullback Mark Van Gisbergen, who were both rested.

Calvisano started strongly, even opening the scoring with a Gerard Fraser penalty goal in the sixth minute, but it was only a matter of time before their resistance was broken.

Winger Michael Roberts and backrower Mark Lock ran in tries to give Wasps a 12-3 lead after 20 minutes, before England lock Simon Shaw marked his comeback game with a five-pointer. No 8 James Haskell made the break before popping up the scoring pass to the big second rower, who scampered over the line without a hand laid on him.

Former England Under-16 player Roberts scored his second a few moments from the break and the teams swapped ends with Wasps leading 26-3 and with a bonus point already in the bag.

Calvisano stopped the rot early in the second spell with a try to Italian test centre Giovanni Raineri, converted by Fraser, but it was Roberts’ day and he completed his hat-trick in the 45th minute with a stunning run that started in his own half.

Calvisano refused to accept defeat, though, and hit back in the 53rd minute with a try to the influential Fraser. Replacement Wasps lock George Skivington was yellow-carded in the 70th minute and the home side narrowed the margin to 22-31 with a try to fullback Paolo Vaccari.

Warren Gatland’s side held on to deny Calvisano a bonus point, and now build towards a crucial third-round Pool 3 match against former double European champions Leicester at the Causeway Stadium on Sunday, December 5.