Wasps belatedly find form

Wasps kept alive their bid for a Heineken Cup place next season with a bonus-point 36-18 victory at Bristol on Sunday.

However, the victory came at a cost with Lions hopefuls Paul Sackey and Tom Rees hobbling out of the action with what appeared to be heavy knocks.

Wasps must now beat Gloucester next weekend and hope Northampton, Saracens or Worcester go on to win the European Challenge Cup and with qualification into the Heineken Cup.

The visitors dominated possession and territory before the break but had only an 8-6 advantage to show for their superiority after Josh Lewsey crossed in the corner in the closing minutes.

But Wasps exploded into life after the interval and further scores from Danny Cipriani - who also kicked four goals - Joe Simpson (twice) and Serge Betsen sealed the victory.

Bristol gained some consolation through two late tries from James Phillips and Lee Robinson to give the locals something to cheer about in the spring sunshine.

Injury

Sackey quickly left the action just nine minutes into his return from a calf injury, having first set up a try-scoring opportunity that was spurned when Cipriani's pass to Simon Shaw went forward.

Ed Barnes and Cipriani exchanged penalties inside the first 20 minutes but the injuries continued to flow, Bristol prop Wayne Thompson and Wasps tighthead Pat Barnard needing blood replacements, while the visitors also lost Rees seven minutes before the break with what looked like a serious shoulder injury.

The England lock, along with centre Dominic Waldouck, had been Wasps' most influential players and, after Barnes edged the hosts back in front the visitors finally struck.

Waldouck made his third clear break of the first 40 minutes and, on this occasion, Wasps capitalised, with Lewsey providing a high-class finish in the corner.

Cipriani drifted the touchline conversion attempt wide but needed less than two minutes after the restart to send Wasps on their way towards an ultimately comfortable win.

Powered over

Betsen's excellent approach work created space for attackers either side of him and Cipriani powered over despite being marshalled by two Bristol defenders.

He added the conversion and also slotted the extras 12 minutes later when Simpson - last year's England Under-20 World Cup scrum-half - scored after setting off on a run from 10 metres inside his own half.

It finished Bristol and, although they bravely sought a consolation try during the closing quarter, Wasps almost added a bonus-point touchdown.

A long lineout throw in the shadow of their own posts went straight to centre Riki Flutey, whose deft pass sent Cipriani away on a marathon solo dash.

He backed himself to make it but Bristol substitute Tom Arscott shadowed him cleverly before making a try-saving tackle.

The all-important fourth Wasps touchdown, though, arrived 12 minutes from time when Simpson pounced for his second score and Betsen then crossed to compound Bristol's misery.

Two more successful Cipriani conversions meant he finished with a personal tally of 16 points, before Bristol gained some consolation through two late tries from James Phillips and Lee Robinson.