Wasps keep control after Umaga sent off

By ROB WILDMAN

Wasps …………… .30pts

Tries: Alo 19, Shields 23, Barbeary 68

Conversions: Gopperth 19, 23, 68

Penalties: Gopperth 42, 56, 80

Toulouse ……….22pts

Tries: Cros 2, Mauvaka 61, Meafou 80

Conversions: Ramos 2, 80

Penalty: Ramos 34

WASPS overcame the 34th-minute dismissal of Jacob Umaga to outwit and outpower Toulouse in a blood and guts tie in Coventry.

Six days after fending off Premiership leaders Leicester, injury-hit Wasps produced another uplifting performance against the odds to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last 16. Now all they need is a victory over Munster next Sunday in Limerick to grab one of the eight qualifying places from Pool B.

Wasps look certain to be without Umaga who received his second red card in a month for another dangerous tackle.

It was a tough decision for Irish referee Chris Busby to make, but after prolonged debate among all his officials, the full-back was given his marching orders for the way he caught Toulouse scrumhalf Martin Page Relo with his shoulder and then head.

Wasps boss Lee Blackett did not criticise the officials afterwards and said Umaga was “gutted”.

Up until the incident, Umaga had played skilfully and had helped to put Wasps into good attacking positions. Blackett said his coaching team had to look at how his players were carrying out two-man tackles and added: “I thought he (Umaga) was outstanding in the first half. I thought he gave us a real edge but, unfortunately, we are looking at another ban.”

The decision incensed the Wasps support and they were further dismayed when Toulouse's Anthony Jelonch was given only a yellow card for a similar incident in the second half.

By then Wasps had edged ahead and Jimmy Gopperth punished Jelonch's rash tackle on Alfie Barbeary to kick a penalty in the 55th minute to put his team 20-10 ahead.

Though Toulouse cut the deficit through a try from hooker Peato Mauvaka, Wasps kept ahead and were helped by man-of-thematch Barbeary forcing his way over in the 67th minute for a try which Gopperth converted.

A further penalty from Gopperth put Wasps 30-15 before Toulouse, who paid for making too many mistakes in attack, grabbed a consolation score for substitute prop Emmanuel Meafou.

Those mistakes had blotted Toulouse's purposeful start when they took control by catching Wasps off guard through a quickly taken lineout.

That pressure ended in a try for flanker Francois Cros which full-back Thomas Ramos improved.

However, Wasps are nothing less than resilient. They survived that early assault to feed off some loose play.

Wasps also have forward ploys which worked a treat to set up tries for prop Biyi Alo and flanker Brad Shields, who was forced over at a rate of knots by his well-drilled colleagues.

The committed play put Wasps 14-7 up before those first-half departures to Willis, who did not return from a head assessment, the red-card of Umaga and Cruse who hobbled off just before the interval.

Toulouse cut the lead thanks to Ramos' penalty but Wasps showed their intent straight after the restart when Gopperth landed his three-pointer to punish Toulouse's patchy discipline.