Wasps beat brave Sarries second string

By Jason Harris
December 4 2005

A shadow Saracens team containing just three of the starting line-up fielded against Gloucester the week before pushed a full-strength London Wasps all the way before a late try flurry gives the home side a comfortable 42-8 win in Round 3 of the Powergen Cup.

In spite of going behind to a second minute George Skivington try, Kris Chesney's side made mainly from "A" team regulars kept themselves in touch for the first 65 minutes of the match.

Paul Bailey scored a well-worked five pointer and Adam Powell added a drop goal during an even first half and the visitors went into the break behind 11-8 after Alex King had added two more penalties.

Although they were still well in it with a quarter of the match to go, the superior experience and strength of the home side told, moreso when Sarries no8 Steffon Armitage was sin-binned for preventing release at a ruck near half way.

Wasps took full advantage and scored four more tries; one each for fullback Josh Lewsey and scrum half Eoin Reddan and a brace for wing Paul Sackey to make the game safe and put them into the draw for the semi-finals at the Millennium Stadium.

Scorers:

Saracens:
Try: Bailey
Drop Goal: Powell

London Wasps:

Tries: Skivington, Lewsey, Sackey (2), Reddan
Conversions: King (4)
Penalty goals: King (3)