Aviva Premiership
Wasps leapfrog Leicester with impressive win
PA Sport
March 12, 2016
Report Match details
Date/Time: Mar 12, 2016, 13:45 local, 13:45 GMT
Venue: Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Wasps 36 - 24 Leicester Tigers
Attendance: 22241  Half-time: 22 - 10
Tries: Halai, Hughes, STC Piutau 2, Wade
Cons: Gopperth 3, Lozowski
Pens: Gopperth
Tries: Betham, Goneva, Veainu
Cons: Burns 3
Pens: Burns
COVENTRY, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Christian Wade of Wasps is tackled by Mathew Tait of Leicester Tigers during the Aviva Premiership match between Wasps and Leicester Tigers at The Ricoh Arena on March 12, 2016 in Coventry, England.
Christian Wade runs at Leicester's Mathew Tait.
© Getty Images
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Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership
Grounds: Ricoh Arena

Wasps saw off Leicester 36-24 at the Ricoh Arena to move into third place in the Aviva Premiership.

Dai Young's exciting side scored five tries in a bonus point win, including three in a one-sided first half, to leapfrog the Tigers who had no answer to the home team's all-out attack.

Man-of-the-match Charles Piutau scored two, with the rest coming from Christian Wade, Frank Halai and Nathan Hughes in front of a crowd of 22, 241. Peter Betham, Telusa Veainu and Vereniki Goneva replied for Leicester who finished strongly but were well beaten.

Leicester made two changes to the side that beat Exeter. Centre Matt Smith returned from a head knock to replace Manu Tuilagi, who was with England, and Mathew Tait came in at full-back.

Wasps, whose six match Premiership winning streak was ended by Gloucester last week, recalled flanker Thomas Young after illness, while hooker Ashley Johnson made his 100th appearance.

Wasps, the Premiership's form team having taken 23 points from the last 30, ripped Leicester apart in a fast and furious first half and deservedly turned round with a 22-10 lead.

Wasps scored three tries through centre Piutau's two, and winger Wade, who made amends for gifting one to Leicester.

Wasps led 8-0 after just nine minutes thanks to a penalty by fly-half Jimmy Gopperth who then missed the conversion following Piutau's first try.

The try came from a line-out and a surging run into the 22 by Johnson before Piutau's strength earned him the try against some poor defence from Leicester.

A 21st minute penalty by fly-half Freddie Burns put Leicester back in it and two minutes later they were ahead after Betham intercepted a pass by Wade who had taken an up and under and run across his own 22. Burns added the conversion. Three minutes later Wade beat Goneva to a cross kick from Gopperth, who added the conversion. Leicester had hardly caught their breath when they were watching Piutau go under the posts after a great break from his brother, Siale, from a line-out. Gopperth kicked the conversion. He missed a penalty in the 29th minute.

Right on half time, Leicester winger Adam Thompstone scored from a pass by Smith but, after consulting the TMO, the referee disallowed it for a forward pass.

It took Wasps just two minutes of the second half to get a bonus point with their fourth try, winger Halai bulldozing his way past some poor tackling in a counter attack down the left. Gopperth added the conversion to make it 29-10.

Six minutes later Veainu scored with his first touch after replacing the injured Thompstone, cutting inside off his wing after some smart passing back the backs. Burns added the conversion.

Try number five arrived in the 63rd minute when Wasps capitalised on a poor clearance by Tait, former Australia flanker George Smith providing the scoring pass to replacement Hughes, with Alex Lozowski adding the conversion.

Smith had to go off moments later after banging his head on the pitch. There was a lengthy stoppage while he was treated but in the end he did not need a stretcher. With three minutes left Goneva scored Leicester's third try, with Burns adding the conversion.

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