A magnificent first-half display by London Wasps continued Gloucester's miserable away record in the Guinness Premiership against the English champions.

In front of a sell-out crowd at the Causeway Stadium, Wasps scored four outstanding first-half tries, to secure a bonus-point win to follow on from their demolition of Llanelli Scarlets in the Heineken Cup last weekend.

Dean Ryan's men produced a spirited second-half comeback, and James Bailey's late try set up a tense finish, and secured a bonus point for Gloucester but Wasps clung on to secure a 32-25 victory.

Gloucester's cause suffered an early blow when they lost former Wasps scrum-half Peter Richards to the sin-bin after five minutes, and the home side capitalised straight away when flanker John Hart burrowed over from close range. Alex King's conversion made it 7-0.

Gloucester responded with a penalty from Ludovic Mercier, but Wasps maintained their dominance scoring a well-worked try after 10 minutes. Stuart Abbott set up the platform before King's inside pass gave Paul Sackey a one-on-one with Olly Morgan. The young full-back had no chance as Sackey turned him inside out and Wasps went 12-3 in front.

King's first penalty of the day - following a storming run from George Skivington - made it 15-3 to Wasps.

The Londoners' third try came in the 19th minute. Sackey made another outstanding break, before the ball was shipped off to King, Abbott and then Josh Lewsey. The England full-back's pass found Simon Shaw in support and the giant second row went over to make it 20-3. King added the conversion to extend the lead to 19 points.

Gloucester kept themselves in the game with a neatly-taken Mercier try in the 25th minute, which the Frenchman converted himself to make it 22-10.

Gloucester's mini revival continued but they were unable to turn possession into points, and Wasps secured a bonus point just before half-time when Lewsey went over in the corner. King's conversion, followed immediately by mammoth Mercier penalty, made the score 29-13 to Wasps at half-time.

Gloucester started the second-half brightly with the impressive James Simpson-Daniel posing plenty of questions for the Wasps defence.

It was Wasps turn to lose a man to the sin-bin when Tim Payne was sin-binned in the 46th minute for collapsing a line out.

Wasps were forced to reshuffle their back line when they lost King with a wrist injury with 24 minutes to go, and the visitors capitalised on the absence of Payne and King when referee Roy Maybank awarded a 57th-minute penalty try. Mercier's conversion closed the gap to nine points.

The Wasps pack decided enough was enough and proceeded to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and produced a series of powerful drives that resulted in a penalty for full-back Mark Van Gisbergen.

Gloucester winger James Bailey went over in the 74th minute to set up a nail-biting finish but Wasps clung on.