Match Centre: Wasps 26-20 Saracens

Wasps 26-20 Saracens, Coventry Building Society Arena

Wasps returned back to winning ways as they edged out Saracens 26-20 in the 14th round of the Gallagher Premiership at Coventry Building Society Arena on Sunday.

This is fourth defeat for Saracens despite which they maintain their second position with 44 points while Wasps have moved to eighth with 32 points.

Wasps dominated the opening exchanges as Jimmy Gopperth slotted a penalty goal in the third minute and two minutes later a high ball went past Dan Robson but Sam Spink ran clear to the line. Gopperth landed the conversion right but missed a penalty chance in the 14th minute as the home side maintained a 10-0 lead.

The end of the opening quarter saw Alex Lozowski and Gopperth exchange penalties as Wasps maintained their 10-point lead before Saracens bounced back through touchdown from Alex Lewington that came after Alex Goode and Manu Vunipola helped in the build up.

The stroke of half-time saw Tom Woolstencroft also forcing his way over at the back of a well drilled line out but Lozowski missed the conversions on both the occasions as the teams went into the break unseparated at 13-13.

The hosts struck the first blow in the second half when Gopperth kicked a three-pointer in the 47th minute just as Saracens made another infringement, the Wasps centre punished them with another penalty goal making it 19-13.

As the game entered the final five minutes, Elliott Stooke powered his way over and Gopperth improved it before Nick Tompkins helped Saracens claim a losing bonus point with his touchdown in the closing stage.

Team line up:

Wasps: Watson; Odogwu, Spink, Gopperth, Bassett; Atkinson, Robson; West, Cruse, Alo, Launchbury, Stooke, Fifita, Oghre, Shields

Reserves Van Vuuren, Hislop, Millar-Mills, Gaskell, Morris, Wolstenholme, Fekitoa, Miller

Saracens: Goode; Segun, Lozowski, Tompkins, Lewington; Manu Vunipola, Van Zyl; Mako Vunipola, Woolstencroft, Koch, Hunter-Hill, Swinson, McFarland, Earl, Billy Vunipola

Reserves Lewis, Mawi, Clarey, Venter, Christie, Davies, Jackson, Maitland