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Wasps find their sting as Shields and Robson sink Bath

Brad Shields

Second-half tries from Brad Shields and Dan Robson saw Wasps edge out Bath 30-22 as they earned their first win of the Gallagher Premiership season.

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The two sides traded blows as Will Rowlands scored moments before half-time and Zach Mercer returned the favour five minutes after the interval in a ding-dong battle at the Ricoh Arena.

But Shields and Robson, who both narrowly missed out on playing a part in England’s World Cup campaign, crossed in the second half to seal the spoils.

Dai Young’s side bounced back from successive defeats in the first two games of the season, while Bath missed out on a losing bonus point despite the boot of Rhys Priestland.

Wasps struggled with discipline early on, conceding two penalties as Priestland got the scoring under way with a simple penalty.

The hosts broke through as Sione Vailanu gained ground with a powerful run, but Shields knocked on 10 metres from the line and Priestland punished them from the tee to make it 6-3.

Wasps struck at the perfect time, Robson drifting into space and offloading to Rowlands, who rumbled in from 15 metres out, Lima Sopoaga converting to earn a 13-9 half-time lead.

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Seven minutes after the interval Bath stole a lineout and piled on the pressure, Mercer finishing off a long move from close range and Priestland adding the extras to hand the visitors a six-point lead.

Bath grasped the initiative as Priestland chalked up another three from in front of the posts, but it was from then on that the hosts were jolted into action.

Sopoaga orchestrated the move and Zach Kibirige did well to keep the Kiwi’s floated pass in play out wide, but Shields showed his strength to power over, helped by Vailanu.

It took just seven minutes for Wasps to do it again and Sopoaga came to the fore, with Tom Cruse finding space and advancing within metres of the line, offloading to Robson for the score.

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Priestland turned the contest in the closing moments with a 70-metre kick that earned Bath territory, and he brought his side within five points on the final play.

Despite a clean break from Aled Brew, Wasps held on and Sopoaga kicked a penalty in the closing moments to deny Bath anything to show for their visit to the West Midlands.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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