WASPS TURNED ON the style to avenge last weekend’s European Rugby Champions Cup defeat against Bath with a stunning 36-10 victory at The Rec on Saturday.
Having started their Pool Five campaign with convincing wins against Leinster and Toulon, the only teams to have earned the title of European champions in the past five seasons, Wasps saw their momentum halted by a dramatic 25-23 loss to Bath at the Ricoh Arena.
However, after Semesa Rokoduguni opened the scoring for Bath on this occasion, Dai Young’s men responded with 23 unanswered points to seize complete control.
Wasps, for whom Jimmy Gopperth shone with a try, four penalties and three conversions, now sit six points clear of the previously unbeaten Bath and French outfit Toulon having played a game more.
Defending champions Toulon overcame an 11-point deficit to beat Leinster 20-16 in Dublin, eliminating the Irish province.
A day on from being backed for an England recall by club team-mate Charlie Hodgson, Chris Ashton ran in a hat-trick of tries as Saracens trounced Oyonnax 55-13 at Allianz Park.
Ashton claimed his team’s first two touchdowns and also the last of their eight, a first Champions Cup hat-trick for the winger moving him up to third in the competition’s all-time try-scoring list.
Stade Francais made light work of completing a double over Benetton Treviso in Pool Four, Josaia Raisuqe contributing two tries to a 40-14 victory in Paris.
Yet Bordeaux-Begles, for whom Adam Ashley-Cooper made his debut, were pushed all the way by the Ospreys before running out 33-27 winners at Stade Chaban-Delmas.
The Welsh region trailed 25-10 at the interval, but fought back impressively to set up a grandstand finish – Alun Wyn Jones among the try-scorers on his 50th European appearance.
While the Ospreys were unable to snatch victory, two bonus points lift them to the top of Pool Two ahead of Exeter Chiefs’ visit to Clermont Auvergne on Sunday.
Glasgow Warriors claimed a 9-6 away win against the Scarlets to mark their 100th European Cup game with victory, despite being reduced to 13 men at one point during the second half.
The Warriors now trail Northampton Saints by a point in Pool Three, with Racing 92 a further two ahead.
