Wasps - 31 Leicester - 37: This weekend's second act of this all-English passion play will have to be a belter to match yesterday's first gripping instalment. The Heineken European Cup may never have known a pool game of such bristling intensity and Leicester's narrow victory, while securing the Tigers an edge, is not yet enough to earn them an automatic passport into Europe's knock-out stages
In recovering from 15 points down inside a dozen minutes and denying the visitors a bonus point for scoring four tries, Wasps can console themselves they made the best of a bad job but, as their director of rugby, Warren Gatland, acknowledged, they now have to win at Welford Road on Sunday. If not, the defending champions will be down and out of this least forgiving of pools before Christmas.
As widely expected, the final margin was of the fingernail variety in a game which featured 68 points, three stunning Leicester tries inside the first quarter and an eye-watering amount of bare-knuckle action between supposed England squad comrades.
The outcome was still in doubt deep into injury-time when Wasps were swarming around their opponents' line doing their best to inflict another of their trademark late stings, and Leicester's skipper Martin Johnson was even warned by referee Nigel Williams that one more offence would result in a penalty try.
Even Gatland admitted that would have been a deeply unsatisfying postscript to an extraordinary game which fluctuated wildly. What did irritate Wasps, though, was the decision, with the score poised at 31-31 and Leicester under pressure, to award a knock-on when they swore the ball had been kicked out of Matt Dawson's hands.
A fired-up Lawrence Dallaglio alleged Leicester had been "killing the ball all game" and is already itching to redress the balance this weekend. "We'll come out with a point to prove," said the former England captain. "They won't have it easy."
Both Dallaglio and Gatland recognise, even so, that Wasps will have to attend to the foundations of their forward effort if they are to prevent Leicester doing something similar in the return fixture.
Julian White, currently the form tighthead in world rugby, gave the 60-times capped All Black Craig Dowd a torrid time and Wasps' front row disappeared into orbit so frequently they were penalised on four separate occasions, three of which Andy Goode converted into nine points. Given those sort of statistics it was a credit to Wasps' never-say-die resilience they were still in the contest right to the end, a scenario that seemed improbable after 20 minutes.
The tone was set after 72 seconds when Phil Greening's first lineout throw sailed over the top to Neil Back, Daryl Gibson's swift pass gave Ollie Smith space to surge into the visiting 22 and Lewis Moody ploughed unstoppably past his England team-mate Joe Worsley to score in the corner. It was an unequivocal statement of intent and there was more to come.
From another lineout taken by the excellent Martin Corry, who shaded his duel with Dallaglio, the Tigers' backs scored a second try inside 12 minutes when Geordan Murphy was given sufficient space to score in the right corner despite what looked like a hint of midfield crossing.
When Corry, despite a slight juggle, caught Austin Healey's cross-kick to barge over in the left corner past Josh Lewsey and Mark Van Gisbergen, Leicester were 22-6 up and apparently in control. Maybe they relaxed slightly or, more likely, took their eye off the ball to indulge in the fisticuffs which were an equally prominent sight during the early exchanges. The only player to incur any serious sanction from the referee, however, was the Tigers' scrumhalf Harry Ellis, sin-binned for handling in a ruck, and in his absence Wasps came roaring back.
Lewsey, an attacking threat all day, dummied past Gibson to score what turned out to be Wasps' only try, and van Gisbergen was so accurate he missed only one of 10 kicks at goal all day. Goode also missed one kick from eight and his 30-metre drop-goal in injury-time left Wasps needing a converted try which, by the slimmest of margins, they failed to secure in the final cacophonous seconds.
It was just as well for Goode, his unnecessary shove on Lewsey having assisted Wasps' fightback to 25-19 down at half-time. The outhalf's kicking from hand was also variable but, as England can testify, a kicker who nails his goals is not to be underestimated.
There were numerous other memorable moments, not least Jonny O'Connor's bare-bottomed attempt to burst clear with Corry clutching his shorts, but Gatland's parting shot is worth remembering. "We don't want to give this trophy away," he said. "We've worked so hard to win it and we will go down fighting."
The battle is not over yet.
WASPS: Van Gisbergen; Lewsey, Erinle, Abbott, Voyce; King, Dawson; Dowd, Greening (Gotting, 59), Green (McKenzie, 65), Shaw, Birkett, Worsley, O'Connor, Dallaglio (capt). Tries: Lewsey. Con: Van Gisbergen. Pens: Van Gisbergen 8.
LEICESTER: Murphy; Lloyd (A Tuilagi, 67), Smith, Gibson, Healey; Goode, Ellis; Rowntree, Chuter, White, M Johnson (capt), L Deacon, Moody, Back, Corry. Tries: Moody, Murphy, Corry. Cons: Goode 2. Pens: Goode 5. Drop-goal: Goode Sin-bin: Ellis 23.
Referee: N Williams (Wales)
