By Barney Burnham
December 20 2004

When Spreaders finally blew the whistle on this pulsating Powergen Cup tie, before dashing off to choir practice, the small number of travelling Wasps fans at the Memorial Ground heaved a huge sigh of relief . Just over half an hour earlier, the prospect of a repeat of last season's Pertemps Bees nightmare had been looming large. Thankfully, that ghost can now be laid to rest for another year.

With a starting side containing only a handful of first-choice players, Director of Rugby Warren Gatland again pinned his faith in the club's rising stars, and this time it paid off.

Wasps started the match at a rate of knots. They gathered Bristol's kickoff, and launched a blistering counterattack, which saw Josh Lewsey take play into the home 22, where Bristol were penalised, for Mark Van Gisbergen to land a penalty.

Almost immediately, Wasps again threatened down the right touchline, but the move ended with a pass which went behind Lewsey.

Bristol were level on 8 minutes, through a penalty by flyhalf Jason Strange, after Spreaders played a long advantage.

The first try of the game came a minute later. Bristol failed to gather the restart, and Ali McKenzie made a poweful burst, before skilfully popping up the balll for Harvey Biljon, who raced over near the left-hand corner. Van Gisbergen's converion made it 10-3 to Wasps.

With Wasps moving the ball at pace, and looking constantly threatening, more tries seemed inevitable, but, three minutes later, another promising situation was spoilt, when Wasps were penalised for crossing, near their own 10-metre line, but Strange missed the resultant penalty chance.

After 15 minutes, a scrum near the Wasps 22 erupted in a flurry of fisticuffs. When order was restored, Henry Nwume was sent to the bin. It's unusual to see the giant prop lose his temper, and he said afterwards that he was retaliating to a punch.

Wasps were then forced to concentrate on containment, and they did their job so effectively that it was 7 minutes before Will Green had to come on to take Nwume's place in the front row.

With Nwume still in the bin, Wasps fans were concerned to see Stuart Abbott leaving the field. He'd required attention a few minutes earlier, when heavy strapping was applied to his leg. It turned out that he had a slight hamstring niggle, but he said after the game that his substitution was precautionary, and he felt fine.

Peter Richards, fresh from his heroics with the England 7s squad, replaced Abbott, and he was straight into the action. He featured prominently in a move which seemed to have set up an overlap on the left, but the chance was wasted by another wayward pass.

Nwume's ten minutes in the bin passed scoreless, so it was ironic that Bristol should score as soon as he returned. They won a lineout, number 8 Jim Brownrigg's dummy opened a huge gap in the midfield defence and he raced 30 metres to touch down by the posts. Strange converted, to level the scores at 10-10.

Then came 2 scores which seemed, at the time, to have put Wasps out of sight. On 34 minutes, Rob Hoadley gathered a poor clearance kick, and moved the ball quickly to the right, where Josh Lewsey took advantage of a huge overlap, to run in unopposed from 30 yards.. Van Gisbergen converted, and, four minutes later, launched the move which ended with Tom Voyce being sent clear by Ben Gotting's basketball pass. Another conversion took the score to 24-10.

It was Bristol, though, who had the final score of the half, when Strange landed an injury time penalty, having been off target moments earlier.

24-13 down at the break, Bristol came roaring back with two tries in 11 minutes. First, Strange's chip was deflected off a Wasps player, into the arms of centre Rob Higgitt, who dashed over under the posts. Strange's conversion made it 24-20. Another Van Gisbergen penalty made it 27-20, before Bristol's Argentine international fullback, Bernardo Stortoni gathered a loose ball just outside the Wasps 22, accelerated into space down the left, and raced over in the corner. Strange's magnificent kick levelled the score, and the spectre of Pertemps Bees was looming large.

That spectre was flapping its hideous wings, when Strange's 66th-minute penalty put Bristol ahead for the first time. The lead lasted just four minutes, before Mark Van Gisbergen, to a cacophony of booing, landed his third penalty. Four minutes later, to even more booing, he was on target again, to put Wasps back in front, 33-30.

They came close to sealing victory, when James Brooks split the defence, to send Lewsey clear down the left, but the England winger was brought down just short of the line.

On fulltime, Wasps were penalised for a high tackle, on the halfway line. Strange's long-range penalty fell short, and the game seemed over - but, from the restart, Wasps were penalised for a late tackle. This time, from 40 metres, Strange made no mistake, to send the game into extra time. This can't have pleased the renowned local tenor Mr. Spreadbury, who was due at church choir practice at 5.15. Hope Evensong went well, Spreaders!

With the crowd unclear about the implications of the score ending level after extra time, the stadium announcer went throught the options. Tries scored - three each. Tries converted - three each. He didn't go on to say that the away side would then go through!

The first half of extra time was scoreless, with Wasps spoiling several good field positions, by conceding penalties or turnover ball.

Two minutes into the second period of extra time, Van Gisbergen's fifth penalty made it 36-33. Three minutes later came the deciding score. Wasps hoisted a kick down the left touchline. It bounced awkwardly, and replacement hooker Johnny Barrett was on hand to gather the ball and pass it infield. 30 metres out, Tom Rees took the pass at speed, to outpace the defence and triumphantly go over under the posts. Van Gisbergen's conversion made it nine kicks out of nine.

There was just time for 17-year-old Daniel Cipriani to come off the bench and become the youngest player ever to appear in the competition, before Wasps fans heaved a huge sigh of relief, Bristol fans contemplated life back in the Premiership, Bristol's treasurer gleefully started counting the money, and Spreaders tore away, practising his scales and arpeggios.

An epic game, and one with which Warren Gatland was well pleased. He felt it was a result for the future, in which the young players who've impressed in the A team had shown that they can perform at a higher level.

This was a game which could, and perhaps, should have been sealed long before the end of normal time - but that would belittle Bristol's mighty effort. Their defence had kept Wasps tryless from the 38th minute of the first half to the 15th minutes of extra time -a mighty effort, and one which bodes well for their hopes of returning to the Premiership.

With a passionate crowd of nearly 10,000 roaring them on, they put in a massively committed display, and deserve every credit for their part in a thrilling encounter.

For Wasps, a welcome return to winning ways. Defeat would have been unthinkable. As it is, they can enter the second half of the season with renewed confidence, knoing that they are a side who always improve as the season progresses.

Now for Gloucester.