Dallaglio powered over for an early try on his comeback from injury

Wasps (10) 23
Tries: Dallaglio, Voyce
Cons: Cipriani 2
Pens: Cipriani, King 2

London Irish (10) 13
Tries: Flutey
Cons: Everitt
Pens: Everitt, Flutey

Lawrence Dallaglio marked his return to action with a try as defending champions Wasps battled past London Irish in the EDF Energy Cup.

Dallalgio's early score was cancelled out by Riki Flutey's try as the sides went in level at 10-10 at the break.

Tom Voyce finished off a fine move to put Wasps ahead early in the second half before an Alex King penalty put them 10 points clear.

Flutey and King traded late penalties as Wasps won with something to spare.

Reaction: Wasps 23-13 London Irish

Wasps gave a start to 18-year-old fly-half Daniel Cipriani, fresh from training with the England squad, and he began hesitantly, pulling an early penalty badly wide.

Dallaglio's season was delayed by an operation to remove the metal plate that was inserted in his broken ankle on the 2005 Lions tour.

But the number eight, who lasted the full 80 minutes, was soon in the thick of the action and was driven over from a line-out after nine minutes, to his obvious enjoyment.

Cipriani, who showed some nice touches in the 51 minutes he was on the field, was on target with the conversion and his opposite number Barry Everitt soon got the Exiles on the scoreboard with a penalty.

Sailosi Tagicakibau then sliced through to set up a try for Flutey, converted by Everitt, before Cipriani landed a penalty to make it 10-10 at the break.

It was a scrappy first half, notable largely for the fact that both Armitage brothers - Delon and Steffon - were yellow carded for the visitors, but the game sparked briefly into life immediately after the restart.

Voyce took a quick tap from a mark inside his own 22 and was involved four times in a sweeping attack, which ended with the winger slicing through from 30 metres for a fine converted try.

King, on for Cipriani, edged Wasps 10 points clear with a penalty on the hour as the Wasps pack took control of the game.

London Irish struggled to get into Wasps' half and although they managed a Flutey penalty, King replied in kind as Wasps closed out the match.

England prop Phil Vickery - like Dallaglio making his comeback after long-term injury - lasted 51 minutes before being substituted.

"I felt better after finishing that game than after any game I played last season.

"My whole leg is a lot better than it was last year and it's nice to be back playing and complete a whole game.

"My target is to get back playing to the sort of level I was playing before I went on the Lions tour."

"Last week we had a first division referee, this week we had a first division referee. I'd ask how seriously people are taking the competition.

"Andrew Small made a fist of it today but I was very disappointed he gave two yellow cards. I didn't think we deserved to have two cards.

"Teams and coaches will experiment with younger players for this tournament and that is why it is disjointed."

Wasps: Brooks; Doherty, Waters, Waldouck, Voyce; Cipriani, Amor; Payne, Barrett, Vickery, Skivington, Birkett, Haskell, Rees, Dallaglio (capt).
Replacements: King, Reddan, Bracken, Shaw, Adams, Purdy, Leo.

London Irish: Horak; D Armitage, Tiesi, Flutey, Tagicakibau; Everitt (capt), Rees; Lea'aetoa, Coetzee, Skuse, Kennedy, Roche, McCullen, S Armitage, P Murphy.
Replacements: D Murphy, Paice, Hudson, Johnson, Thorpe, Mapusua, Geraghty.