A tough day at the office for the black and gold squad suffering a defeat to Bristol Bears in the first Allianz Cup game. Despite a late comeback in the second half, it wasn’t enough to top Bears’ 33 points.
The game got off to a slow start. Bristol’s number 12, Lovibond, put the first points on the board in the 15th minute working their way outside of Wasps defence to score in the corner.
It was penalty opportunities and a strong set piece that saw Bristol score a further two tries from a line out drive in the 20th and 32nd minute.
Wasps went into the half time break 19 points down. Despite impressive work in defence from the likes of Caux and debut player Stone, Wasps lacked opportunities in attack to break onto the score board.
A hectic start to the second half saw the ball stuck in Wasps 22m and possession switching between the teams – each trying to break through the other’s defensive line. A run of penalties left opportunities for both sides- neither resulting in points.
It was Bristol that broke the stalemate with an intercept try from their No. 12 closely followed by a runaway from prop Simi Pam to score under the posts.
The last 20 minutes of play saw a momentum shift in the Wasps camp and two tries to add to the scoreboard.
In the 65th minute, Wasps worked the ball wide to Carys Williams who fought her way through the Bears’ defence and over the white wash.
Wasps had the final word In the last minute of play, securing possession from a scrum and working the ball back to Boatman who picked a line through Bristol’s defence to score in the corner.
“The first half wasn’t the performance we wanted, but the second showed a better reflection of the rugby we want to be playing and our ability as a squad. The Cup games give us the opportunity to develop as a squad; with new pairings, four Wasps debuts and three season debuts on the field, there is a lot that we can learn from today’s game and take forward into next week. We’re really proud of the players that stepped up today and looking forward to seeing what they bring to the table next week”
With thanks to Head Coach, LJ Lewis, Wasps FC
