Wasps retained the Zurich Premiership title - and completed a stunning European and domestic double - after beating Bath in an absorbing Twickenham showdown.

England centre Stuart Abbott's second-half try gave Wasps the edge on an occasion when defences dominated.

But the manner of victory hardly mattered, with Lawrence Dallaglio lifting the Premiership trophy just six days after Wasps were crowned European champions following a 27-20 win against Toulouse, also at Twickenham.

They emulated Leicester, who won Premiership and European crowns in 2001 and 2002, in denying Bath a first championship success since 1996.

Bath, for whom Mike Catt ended his 12-year association with them before joining London Irish this summer, led 3-0 at half-time thanks to a Chris Malone penalty.

The Australian fly-half later added a drop-goal, but Wasps did just enough through Abbott's 64th-minute breakaway score, converted by full-back Mark Van Gisbergen, and an Alex King drop-goal.

Unlike last season's Premiership final though, when Wasps thumped Gloucester, this was a real contest, bristling with aggression as both sides displayed staggering fitness levels.

But that will be of little comfort to Bath, who finished the 22-game regular league season six points clear of Wasps, but still did not land the title.

Wasps are masters of timing their Premiership run to perfection, and all that matters are the trophies in a bulging Causeway Stadium trophy cabinet.

Critics of the play-off system will again have reason to get on their soap-boxes, but Wasps have mastered the format so much better than anyone else.

They also won, despite a badly misfiring lineout that at times bordered on the farcical, so poor were their ball-winning efforts.

And there was also a scare for England head coach Sir Clive Woodward when Bath centre Mike Tindall limped off three minutes from time, just four days before the world champions set off on their New Zealand and Australia tour.

Bath made an unannounced late change, running out with Catt in the starting XV after full-back Matt Perry suffered an ankle injury during the warm-up.

Catt, wearing the No 20 jersey, started at full-back, with Wylie Human drafted on to the bench instead of Catt.

Wasps thought they had taken the lead on three minutes when flanker Joe Worsley charged down Malone's clearance and centre Fraser Waters touched down, but referee Chris White had already whistled for a lineout infringement.

The opening flurries were predictably fast and furious, but Bath drew first blood when Malone rifled over a sixth-minute penalty into a swirling wind from 35 metres.

Wasps' lineout showed worrying signs of fallibility, and Bath were only too eager to snaffle possession they should not have been allowed near.

Bath stole two against the throw in the opening 10 minutes, underlining their strength in such a critical set-piece area.

Wasps, unusually for them, were on the back foot, pinned inside their own 22 by a testing Malone touch-finder, and when Bath number eight Isaac Feaunati pocketed lineout ball, again from a Wasps throw, his team gained a second kickable penalty.

Malone though, sent an angled 25-metre kick wide, and Wasps escaped, knowing that they should have been six points adrift.

Wasps, after absorbing considerable pressure, looked to have claimed a 24th-minute opportunist try when Heineken Cup match-winner Rob Howley intercepted his opposite number Martyn Wood's pass.

Howley sprinted away to the line, celebrating on route, but White spotted a previous knock-on and Bath got out of jail.

Howley's frustration then got the better of him as he became involved in a skirmish with Wood, and Dallaglio issued a general 'calm down' message to his players as Bath remained on top during what had become a ferocious encounter.

Abbott went off 12 minutes before half-time, to be replaced by Ayoola Erinle, and then referee White faced had to deal with another dust-up, this time between Wasps hooker Trevor Leota and Bath centre Robbie Fleck.

Abbott returned to the action five minutes before half-time, and Bath almost scored immediately following a rampaging run by flanker Andy Beattie.

Wasps broke up the move and swiftly counter-attacked, but their first-half performance was summed up by Van Gisbergen spilling possession just 10 metres out.

Wasps began the second-half in determined fashion, and Dallaglio made considerable headway into Bath territory when he broke clear from the back of a scrum.

Bath could not clear the danger, and King landed a 25-metre drop-goal to tie the scores at 3-3.

Wasps were a class above their first-half display. Their former Bath wing Tom Voyce twice launched threatening raids into Bath's defensive heart, giving the West Country club food for thought.

Defences continued to dominate though, restricting both teams' attacking instincts, but Bath regained the lead on 50 minutes through a Malone drop-goal.

Leota, whose lineout throwing proved consistently wayward, made way for substitute hooker Ben Gotting, yet Wasps still trailed entering the final quarter of a lung-bursting encounter.

But with 16 minutes to go, they claimed the opening try from a lineout inside Wasps' half.

A Malone pass landed in no-man's land, Voyce reacted quickest, and then from halfway he sent Abbott on a dash for glory. Van Gisbergen converted from the touchline, and Wasps could sense victory.

Bath threw everything at them in the closing stages, but their valiant effort agonisingly failed, and Wasps once again reigned supreme.