Wasps 33-26 Sale

Wasps (15) 33
Tries: Flutey, Simpson Cons: Walder Pens: Walder 6 Drop-goals: Walder
Sale (0) 26
Tries: Cohen, Lewaravu Cons: Hodgson 2 Pens: Hodgson 2

Ben Cohen (left) went in for the Sharks first try

Fly-half Dave Walder kicked 23 points to help Wasps repel a determined second-half fightback by Sale in their Premiership clash at Adams Park.

Walder landed five first-half penalties to give the hosts a 15-0 lead.

After the break Sale fought back with tries from Ben Cohen and Wame Lewaravu, both converted by Charlie Hodgson - who also kicked two penalties.

Riki Flutey and Joe Simpson crossed for Wasps and Walder added eight more points to secure victory.

Flutey and Dominic Waldouck put Wasps on the front foot early on with some strong running before Walder landed his first penalty with just two minutes gone.

Richard Haughton made the most of some pointless kicking by the Sharks with some sharp counter attacking and inside 10 minutes the hosts were 9-0 ahead.

Sale continued to infringe and were made to pay by Walder, who marked his 1,000th Premiership point with his third kick, before referee David Pearson sent prop Henry Thomas to the sin-bin for going off his feet at a ruck.

Wasps, already without the influential Simon Shaw, lost Waldouck on 27 minutes to a leg injury and brought Nic Berry on at scrum-half while moving Simpson onto the left wing.

Sale, who were missing Dwyane Peel and Rob Miller, then lost skipper James Gaskell and despite being down to 14 created the best opportunity of the half when Chris Bell pounced on Haughton's dropped catch.

But Simpson hauled Bell back as Wasps retained a clean sheet at the interval.

The visitors started the second half brightly and fashioned a great move to put Cohen away in the corner for the opening score.

Hodgson converted and, after a misplaced pass denied Cohen a certain second try, added a penalty to make it 15-10.

Walder responded with a drop goal to give Wasps breathing space before Simpson and Haughton combined to put Flutey clear 50 metres out.

The conversion made it 25-10 but as the final 15 minutes approached Hodgson had pulled it back to 25-16 with his boot.

Walder added three more points of his own before Flutey was forced to leave the field to be replaced by Wales number eight Andy Powell in the centre.

Haughton then put the out-of-position Simpson away down his wing to seemingly kill off the contest, but Lewaravu's converted try and a further penalty by Hodgson ensured it was a thrilling second half right to the whistle.

Wasps coach Trevor Woodman:
"We are pleased with the win but the performance was a little bit mixed, some of our game management needs to improve and not play too much in your own half when you're 15 points up."

Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond:
"Our discipline was poor in the first half; we gave away cheap penalties, there were 15 of them in total.

"We had a chat at half-time and our second-half performance was very good."

Wasps: Haughton, Jacobs, Waldouck, Flutey, Lemi, Walder, Simpson, Payne, Ward, Broster, Cannon, Birkett, Hart, Worsley, Ward-Smith.

Replacements: Van Gisbergen for Haughton (71), Berry for Waldouck (26), Powell for Flutey (66), Taulafo for Broster (45), Launchbury for Birkett (60), Betsen for Worsley (68).

Not Used: Lindsay, Baker.

Sale: MacLeod, Brady, Bell, Tonetti, Cohen, Hodgson, Cliff, Imiolek, Briggs, Thomas, C. Jones, Cox, Gaskell, McMillan, Koyamaibole.

Replacements: Williams for MacLeod (67), Tuilagi for Tonetti (60), Lewaravu for Gaskell (34).

Not Used: Croall, McIntyre, Forster, Rouse, Leck.

Sin Bin: Thomas (25).