Harlequins came from 17 points down to claim a rare bonus-point victory on the road and compound Wasps’ woes at the foot of the table. Marcus Smith finished with 13 points after scoring the third of his side’s four tries but Wasps will wonder just how they let this match slip through their fingers.
They were rampant in the first 20 minutes, dreadful for the next 50, when they shipped 28 unanswered points, and energetic if error-prone in the final 10.
They have one win from their six Premiership matches and will spend Christmas looking nervously over their shoulder.
“We were excellent for the first 30 minutes,” said Dai Young. “Then the intensity went completely out of our game. We seemed to make one or two errors and the belief seemed to drain. It’s hugely disappointing.
“It’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle. Everyone knows what Wasps means to me, it hurts when you think you’re letting the supporters and the owners down. Unfortunately I’m the man that has the responsibility to try and turn it around and it’s a responsibility that weighs heavy.”
For Harlequins it is a second successive narrow victory in the Premiership, ensuring Paul Gustard can look to the new year with renewed optimism. “To get a bonus-point win on the road is always pleasing,” he said. “Lots to work on, of course, because if we continue to give teams a leg up that often, we will come unstuck.”
An entertaining first half ended with Wasps three points ahead but frustrated at having let Harlequins back into a match they had dominated for the opening 20 minutes. With Dan Robson at his buzzing best and Malakai Fekitoa living up to his All Black billing with a number of powerful carries and memorable big hits, Harlequins could not get a foothold.
Jacob Umaga kicked Wasps into an early 3-0 lead, despite the best attempts of Joe Marler to put him off while receiving treatment.
Jack Willis then scored the opening try from close range after he had himself gone close with a bullocking run. Willis’s performances have been among the plus points so far for Wasps this season and it is easy to see why he has already cropped up on England’s radar.
The home side’s second try was a beauty, finished by Zach Kibirige after a patient buildup moving right to left – the former Newcastle winger finally being put away thanks to a perfectly-timed pass from his captain, Joe Launchbury, making his first Premiership appearance of the season.
Umaga converted both to put Wasps 17-0 ahead but rather than keep their foot on Harlequins’ throat, they simply stopped playing.
Quins, boosted by the introduction of Paul Lasike at centre for the injured James Lang, registered with their first foray into the Wasps half with Smith and Michele Campagnaro prominent in the buildup to James Chisholm’s try.
The visitors were revitalised and Wasps needed a Tommy Taylor turnover to deny Quins a second in quick succession but Harlequins were back to within three when Kyle Sinckler took a long pass from Danny Care and ghosted through a huge gap in the defence with Smith converting.
Harlequins’ third try again looked that bit too easy for Wasps’ liking. Stephan Lewies carried hard down the right and fed Smith outside him who all too gratefully eased over the line before adding the extras for a four-point lead.
The bonus point arrived when Elia Elia blasted through the last line of defence to go over before Wasps finally found their way into the Harlequins half. Fekitoa might have been over had he held Dan Robson’s fizzed pass but with 10 minutes remaining Wasps set up a grandstand finish when Thomas Young was driven over from a close-range lineout.
Marler was then shown a yellow card for persistent infringement from Harlequins as Wasps kicked to the corner and hammered away at the visitors’ line. Wasps had their chances – three driving lineouts were repelled and Tom Cruse had a try disallowed for detaching from the maul – but ultimately the fourth score they needed was not forthcoming.
