WASPS remain on course for a top six finish in the Aviva Premiership after a convincing bonus point victory over Harlequins at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday.
The hosts left it late to score the try which put them a point clear of fifth-placed Exeter Chiefs and earned Wasps a 37-6 victory in front of another strong home support.
The bonus point came courtesy of a second penalty try just two minutes from time to secure their first win over Harlequins in the Premiership for over two years.
Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young was over the moon to secure a bonus point victory and was pleased to have beaten a difficult Harlequins side.
“I don’t want to pick out individuals because it was a team performance,” said Young.
“I was especially pleased with how well the squad went despite having a few players out through injury or internationals, as did Quins.
“You can never really switch off against Quins because they’ve got so many threats and they keep on playing.
“Once Quins get one try they tend to follow that with another one and another one, so we were very mindful of that. “I was really pleased with the set-piece where I felt we were on top, defensively we didn’t look like we were threatened and when we had the ball, although we left some points out there, I felt we were in control.
“Something we try to pride ourselves on is doing the simple things well. If we can do that, we can build our game.
“We’ve worked really hard on our set-piece and although we’re still not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination, I think we’re improving our shape and structure in defence, which is very good, and when we get the ball we’re a threat.”
Coventry-born Andy Goode kicked Wasps into a 9-0 lead with three well executed penalties before Nick Evans pulled one back for the visitors.
And two converted tries by Tom Varndell and Elliot Daly put the hosts in a comfortable lead before Evans slotted over his second penalty of the match just before the break.
Two penalty tries, which were converted by Goode and replacement Alex Lozowski, earned Wasps the win and Young knows his side are in for tough finish to the season as they seek to place inside the top six.
He added; “We are confident going into every game, but we are also mindful that it’s a very tight league and it all depends on how you play on the day.
“I know it’s the old cliché that all the coaches will use, but it’s very true of this league that every team can beat each other.
“If you look at the Premiership table, two wins and you’re in fourth, two losses and you could be in ninth or tenth.
“It’s fantastic to be sitting in fourth at the moment and top six remains our target this season, but we’re not home and dry yet, far from it.
“We’ve still got a lot of rugby to play and there’s a number of points to pick up or lose, so it’s not a done deal. We’ve just got to play one game at a time and hopefully we can get there at the end of the day.”
Andy Goode celebrates Wasps’ opening try of the match against Harlequins. (s) Photo courtesy of Wasps
