WASPS will bid to bounce back from their first defeat of the Premiership campaign when they travel to reigning champions Exeter Chiefs on Sunday (3pm).
Dai Young’s side will head to Sandy Park on the back of Sunday’s dramatic 24-21 loss to Harlequins at the Ricoh Arena – a result which ended Wasps’ 20-match home Premiership winning run.
There will be added spice in the battle between first and second as Wasps attempt to avenge their 23-20 extra-time loss to the Devon outfit in last season’s final.
Wasps had England internationals James Haskell and Danny Cipriani sin-binned as they lost to Harlequins.
Christian Wade scored to put the hosts ahead but Haskell was yellow-carded after an altercation with England team-mate Joe Marler, who has since been given a citing commissioner’s warning, which equates to a retrospective yellow card.
Quins edged in front with the extra man when England’s Mike Brown fed national team-mate Marland Yarde for a try but Wasps led 13-11 at the break.
Charlie Walker went over for Quins, Tom Cruse replied and, with the score 21-21, Marcus Smith scored a winning penalty for the visitors.
It was the first time Young’s side have failed to win at the Ricoh Arena in the Premiership since December 2015, when they were beaten by Saracens, as they set a club record of consecutive home league victories.
England and Lions flanker Haskell started on the bench on his return from finger surgery and had only been on the pitch for nine minutes when he was yellow-carded for grappling with Marler.
Cipriani, who was sent to the bin on 66 minutes for an intentional knock-on, earned 11 points with his boot for the home side who moved up to second with a losing bonus point.
A scathing Wasps boss Young said: “What you want from referees is consistency and I’ve got to be honest I thought he was consistent – he gave us nothing all game and that’s all you can ask for really.
“I think if someone rips your hat off then squirts water in your face, what do you expect? I just thought it was very harsh on James Haskell (the sin-binning).
“There comes a time when you’ve got to look at the guys that spark these things up, not somebody that’s going to take exception to someone ripping their hat off and squirting water in their face.”
