Premiership: Wasps stun Gloucester to keep play-off hopes alive, Northampton and Exeter remain in the hunt

Colin Newboult

Wasp's Jacob Umaga (left) celebrates after scoring a try during the Gallagher Premiership match at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton. Picture date: Sunday March 13, 2022.

Wasps secured a priceless 27-21 win at Kingsholm to keep themselves in contention for the Premiership top-four and at the same time deal a blow to Gloucester’s hopes.

It was tight throughout and the Cherry and Whites went into the break 6-0 ahead thanks to a pair of Adam Hastings penalties, but the visitors had signalled their intent in the first half.

Lee Blackett’s men had two tries disallowed in the opening period but eventually got on the board when Jacob Umaga and Gabriel Oghre touched down for a 14-6 advantage.

Kyle Moyle responded for the hosts and Hastings levelled matters with a third three-pointer before Charlie Atkinson regained Wasps’ lead.

Gloucester once again gave themselves hope going into the latter stages after they were awarded a penalty try, but a Dan Robson drop-goal and a Jimmy Gopperth effort off the tee kept the Coventry-based outfit in the title race.

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After a scrappy opening 14 minutes, Wasps conceded three penalties in quick succession and from the last, Hastings knocked over a simple kick to give his side the lead.

Wasps suffered another setback when their flanker, Brad Shields, was forced to leave the field for an HIA, having come off second best in a collision with Ruan Ackermann.

The game badly needed a spark of excitement and it looked to have got one when Wasps’ Alfie Barbeary burst away from a maul to run 45 metres before sending out a long pass to Paolo Odogwu, who forced way over.

TMO replays were called for and they indicated that Barbeary had picked up the ball from an incorrect position so was deemed to be offside and the try ruled out.

The scrums became increasingly problematic as every engagement seemed to result in one front row or the other standing up and it came as no surprise when rival hookers, Jack Singleton and Oghre, were sin-binned for persistent infringement.

At the next scrum, Wasps conceded a penalty, their 10th of the half, which Hastings kicked to leave Gloucester with a deserved 6-0 half-time lead.

Five minutes after the restart, the visitors scored the first try when Umaga charged down an attempted chip over from Santiago Carreras to run an unopposed 65 metres to score.

Wasps stunned their opponents by soon scoring another when Oghre finished off a driving line-out but, straight from the kick-off, the hosts responded when Moyle collected his up and under to hold off the attentions of Umaga to score.

The conversion from Hastings rebounded back off a post but the outside half succeeded with a straightforward penalty to bring the scores level at the end of the third quarter.

With 14 minutes remaining, Louis Rees-Zammit was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on and Wasps immediately capitalised when Robson sent Atkinson over.

Gloucester need a response and it came in style when their pack provided an unstoppable line-out drive which earned a penalty try, with Wasps’ hooker Dan Frost yellow carded.

The hosts looked favourites for the win but Robson fired over an excellent 45-metre drop goal before Gopperth added a penalty to secure victory.

Northampton too strong for poor Bristol

Tom Collins scored two tries as Northampton won their third Premiership match in a row by defeating Bristol 39-22 in what was a typically entertaining clash between the sides.

The result kept Saints’ play-off hopes very much alive as they remained four points behind fourth-placed Exeter in the table.

The action was pretty unrelenting at Franklin’s Gardens, as two teams who like to throw the ball about went toe-to-toe, and it was the hosts who ultimately had the greater firepower.

They scored five tries to the Bears’ four, with Rory Hutchinson, Lewis Ludlam and Tommy Freeman complementing Collins’ brace.

Exeter comeback sees off Bath

A Stuart Hogg-inspired Exeter Chiefs kept their Premiership play-off hopes alive with a thrilling 42-22 victory over bottom side Bath.

The Chiefs trailed 22-7 two minutes before the interval to a Bath side looking anything but a basement club, and hopes of making a seventh success Premiership final appeared to be slipping away.

However, Exeter showed the character and determination that has been such a bedrock of their success in years gone by to score 35 points without reply.

Tries from Jacques Vermeulen, Dave Ewers, Patrick Schickerling, Billy Keast, Hogg and Santiago Grondona took the Chiefs to a win.

Newcastle hammer woeful Worcester

Newcastle Falcons won the battle of the two Premiership strugglers after they hammered Worcester Warriors 45-10 at Sixways.

Warriors boss Steve Diamond apologised to supporters afterwards as they shipped six tries to the Falcons.

Newcastle went into the break 21-5 in front as George McGuigan, Brett Connon all went over before Louis Schreuder, Trevor Davison and Jamie Blamire completed the rout.

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