WASPS surrendered a 21-point half-time lead to suffer a disappointing defeat at Gloucester on the opening weekend of the Gallagher Premiership season.
Lee Blackett’s side were on course for a comfortable win after tries from Charlie Atkinson, Brad Shields and Burger Odendaal put them in command at Kingsholm.
However, Gloucester scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to stun Wasps who had two players sent to the sin bin in the closing stages as the visitors were left with a single losing bonus point.
Wasps made a flying start to the new season as Atkinson touched down on 20 minutes, having been camped on the Gloucester line for several minutes, before converting his own try.
And the visitors scored again on 25 minutes when Shields picked the ball up from the back of the ruck and powered over following an unlikely break from John Ryan with Atkinson again adding the extras.
The away side scored their third try in the space of nine minutes when Odendaal broke the line to run in unopposed after he ran onto Atkinson’s flat ball with the latter kicking the conversion.
However, the game turned on 42 minutes when Louis Rees-Zammit scored a sensational length of the field try despite the best efforts of two chasing Wasps players having knocked on close to the Gloucester line.
And that try inspired Gloucester to score again on 45 minutes as Charlie Chapman finished off a fine move that saw prop Harry Elrington burst through the line before passing to Albert Tuisue.
The home side completed a sensational comeback on 67 minutes with an unstoppable driving maul that led to a penalty try as Biyi Alo joined Tom Willis in the sin bin.
And the scoring was complete on 72 minutes when Freddie Clarke somehow grounded the ball under pressure from four Wasps defenders.
Despite Wasps going through the phases close to the Gloucester line late on, they eventually coughed up possession as Gloucester cleared into touch to ensure
Wasps are next in action at home to Bristol Bears on Saturday, September 17 with kick-off at 3pm at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
