Austin Healey's dramatic late try earned Leicester a share of the spoils after
the Zurich Premiership leaders had been outplayed for long spells by Wasps.
Healey darted over in the 77th minute and Andy Goode's conversion from the
touchline secured two points for the draw at the Causeway Stadium.
Leicester, missing a huge contingent of international players, looked down and
out when they trailed 17-7 with less than 20 minutes to go.
The Tigers' first-half try from Tom Varndell and Goode's conversion had come
against the run of play as Wasps built up their lead with a slick Mark Van
Gisbergen score and four penalties from wing Edd Thrower.
But Thrower missed with the shot which would have killed the game 10 minutes
from time, Leicester's malfunctioning lineout suddenly clicked into gear and
Healey did the rest.
This meeting was just the first act in a series of three full-blooded
confrontations in four weeks between these teams that will shape the course of
their seasons.
Their Premiership race will be interrupted next month when they meet home and
away in their tight Heineken Cup pool.
How accurately this game reflected the abilities of either side was muddied by
the absence of their international contingents.
Wasps were without Joe Worsley, Jonny O'Connor and Josh Lewsey, and fly-half
Alex King is still troubled by a foot injury.
But Leicester were certainly more handicapped without Twickenham heroes Martin
Corry, Lewis Moody, Ben Kay, Graham Rowntree and Julian White up front and were
also missing scrum-half Harry Ellis and full-back Geordan Murphy.
No game, though, is going to be short on passion when former England captains
Lawrence Dallaglio and Martin Johnson line up against each other, even if some
of the supporting personnel are unfamiliar.
Certainly Wasps looked sharper up front in the opening quarter, frustrating
the visitors into giving away penalties as they scavenged for the ball with
Thrower thumping over penalties after eight and 15 minutes.
The first try, though, came against the run of play with an arrogant show of
the ball from teenage wing Varndell.
Leicester opened up a midfield hole and the 19-year-old scorched in from the
blindside and dummied inside Van Gisbergen for his fourth touchdown in three
Premiership appearances.
Although Goode converted, Wasps still held the upper hand with James Brooks
angling an intelligent cross-field kick to set up the position for them to
recapture the lead after 33 minutes.
Dawson and Dallaglio's interchange from the back of a scrum fixed the defence
and then Peter Richards' important off-load to Ayoola Erinle put Van Gisbergen
over on the left.
Both sides struggled for rhythm after the break in an increasingly scrappy
battle between the packs as Thrower missed two difficult shots at goal.
Leicester were lucky to keep all 15 men on the field when Johnson escaped with
a ticking off from Ashley Rowden after impeding Erinle in midfield.
They were punished by Thrower, who added penalties in the 58th and 63rd
minutes, but stayed within range when Goode drilled over a long-range effort
from wide on the left.
Thrower missed a much easier chance 10 minutes from time and suddenly
Leicester sniffed a chance from a series of close-range lineouts.
Former England captain Johnson and Daryl Gibson thundered into the Wasps
midfield defence, then they switched the ball back to the blindside for Healey
to judge his diagonal run and slide to the corner perfectly.
Teams:
Wasps: van Gisbergen, Thrower, Richards, Erinle, Voyce, Brooks,
Dawson, Dowd, Greening, Green, Shaw, Birkett, Hart, Rees,
Dallaglio.
Replacements: Biljon for Dawson (80), Leota for Greening (63),
Lock for Hart (78).
Not Used: Mackenzie, Haskell, Priscott, Hoadley.
Tries: van Gisbergen.
Pens: Thrower 4.
Leicester: Vesty, Varndell, Cornwell, Gibson, Healey, Goode,
Bemand, Holford, Buckland, Morris, M. Johnson, L. Deacon,
H. Tuilagi, Back, W. Johnson.
Replacements: Taukafa for Buckland (55), Montagu for H. Tuilagi (61).
Not Used: Hampson, Hamilton, Dodge, Broadfoot, Skinner.
Tries: Varndell, Healey.
Cons: Goode 2.
Pens: Goode.
Att: 10,000
Ref: Ashley Rowden (RFU).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook