BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | English | Wasps 33-12 Gloucester

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Last Updated: Tuesday, 26 December 2006, 16:45 GMT

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Wasps 33-12 Gloucester

Tom Palmer (left) keeps a close eye on Gloucester's Iain Balshaw

Tom Palmer (left) scored two tries for Wasps

Wasps (19) 33
Tries: Sackey, Palmer 2, Voyce, Haskell
Cons: King 3, Cipriani

Gloucester (0) 12
Tries: Lawson, Allen
Cons: Lamb

England second row Tom Palmer scored two tries as Wasps secured a bonus-point victory in the Premiership.

Wasps took the lead through England winger Paul Sackey's 11 try of the season before Palmer twice went over to give Wasps a 19-0 half-time lead.

Rory Lawson finally got Gloucester on the board after 53 minutes before Tom Voyce crossed for the hosts.

Anthony Allen scored a second try for Gloucester but James Haskell ensured Wasps had the final word.

The only bad news for Wasps was the sight of England prop Phil Vickery limping off in the first half.

Vickery has only recently returned to action following a third back operation but after the match Wasps boss Ian McGeechan said the prop had only bruised a buttock and had been withdrawn as a precaution.

Wasps boss Ian McGeechan on Tom Palmer:
"He was outstanding. I thought it was his best game in a Wasps jersey - he really caught the eye.

"We know how mobile Tom is and I've been critical in the past of his tighter play, but I thought he was first class in his ball carrying and his tight work.

"I thought for us it was his best all-round performance and his two tries capped things off."

Gloucester boss Dean Ryan:
"I don't think that's best we've seen from Gloucester in the opening half - the game was pretty much over by half-time.

"Adams Park is a tough place to come back from such a big deficit. We got caught in the opening 40 minutes with a lack of decision making.

"Wasps were preying on mistakes and the game started to run away from us before half-time."

Wasps: Van Gisbergen; Sackey, Waldouck, Lewsey, Voyce; King, Amor; Payne, Ibanez, Vickery, Purdy, Palmer, Leo, O'Connor, Worsley.
Replacements: Ward, Bracken, Skivington, Haskell, Reddan, Dallaglio, Cipriani.

Gloucester: Balshaw; Simpson-Daniel, Tindall, Allen, Foster; Walker, Richards; Collazo, Azam, Califano, Bortolami, Brown, Buxton, Hazell, Narraway.
Replacements: M. Davies, Nieto, Eustace, Forrester, Lawson, Lamb, Morgan.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)