Late Goode kick stings Wasps

European champions Wasps are still seeking their first win of the new Guinness Premiership campaign after being edged out by Leicester Tigers in a scrappy encounter at Adams Park.

The Tigers gained a measure of revenge for last season's Heineken Cup final defeat as they emerged with a 20-17 triumph, but in truth neither side will have been particularly enamoured with their displays.

Only five players from that Twickenham final were on display on Sunday in a match short on quality and high on errors.

In the end the boot of Andy Goode proved decisive as Leicester's number ten drilled a penalty through the posts with just four minutes remaining to clinch victory.

Wasps were on the board first as Dave Walder slotted an early drop-goal, but Goode responded with the first of his four successful penalties almost instantly to haul the Tigers back on terms and they hit the front on nine minutes as Ollie Smith crossed the whitewash.

Van Gisbergen error

They try came courtesy of a Mark Van Gisbergen error with the full back spilling a high ball allowing Sam Vesty to nip in and feed Smith who went over in the right corner.

Wasps responded in kind with a try of their own six minutes later as Chris Bishay broke a couple of tackles and offloaded to Tom Voyce who turned on the gas to race over from 20 metres.

Walder missed the conversion and Goode was equally profligate with the boot as he spurned two kickable penalties before landing his second of the afternoon on 26 minutes to edge Leicester ahead and pass 1500 points in Tigers colours.

However, he blotted his copybook as he was sin-binned five minutes before the break for handling in a ruck allowing, Van Gisbergen taking over kicking duties from Walder, to level up the scores albeit only briefly with Johnny Murphy, standing in for Goode, kicking a penalty of his own to ensure the visitors went in 14-11 ahead at the interval.

Walder restored parity two minutes after the break but soon made way for Danny Cipriani who added a touch more verve to Wasps' attacking efforts.

Under pressure

However, they were increasingly coming under pressure in the scrum and having conceded a penalty just past the hour mark, they fell behind again as Goode stroked over from range.

Wasps came close to their second try of the afternoon as Bishay was prevented from grounding his own chip by a cynical Matty Smith infringement and instead had to settle for a penalty, kicked by Cipriani, which again levelled the scores with some 67 minutes on the clock.

However, Leicester's power up front ultimately told as their pack rumbled up the field in the closing stages to secure a penalty that enabled Goode a shot to seal victory which he duly took.