Harlequins 32-22 London Wasps
Harlequins booked their place in the next round of the Amlin Challenge cup against Wasps underneath a dreary grey skyline at the Twickenham Stoop. Nick Evans collected a personal taly of 22 points as he put injury ravaged Wasps to the sword, ultimately ending their season in terms of a Heineken Cup qualification place.
First Half
The home side started quickly with scrum half Danny Care providing a classic scrum halves finish to touch down with less than two minutes on the clock.
New Zealand fly half Nick Evans added the extras, and was in action again soon after adding another two to his side's total after flanker Maurie Fa'asavalu made it two tries in the opening four minutes with a cool finish.
Wasps, whose season has got progressively worse with every passing week, didn't let their heads drop and reduced the arrears to just seven, through centre Seb Jewell and fly half Dave Walder.
Wasps, rocked by the injury to instrumental centre Dom Waldouck, who's torn achilles leaves him out for up to a year, continued to fight knowing a win at the stoop was the only way the guarantee Heineken cup rugby back at Adam's Park next season.
Walder's radar was off with two more penalties that could have provided a buffer for his side but did strike a drop-goal to bring the teams to within four but Evans, kept his side ahead with another two penalties to extend the lead to double figures, and would have been further ahead, had Richard Haughton not run back to cover Evan's chip over the top to save a try.
Haughton on his return to the side realising that today could be the day he made a change, only for Evans to extend the lead to nine on the stroke of half time.
Second Half
Wasps looked confident coming out after the break, but a third miss from Walder meant they had failed to convert their self-belief into a new religion, the faith that comes from winning.
Belief has been missing from the men in black and gold all season, but the intensity was still there. High tackles were present as well with both sides receiving a talking too from referee Christian Berdos.
Evans slotted home a sixth successful kick and had a confident grin on his face, as if he had joined a local gang and been given a cool nickname.
As with their performance on Sunday, Wasps set play continued to function well and brilliant work from Joe Simpson and replacement Christian Wade allowed big
Tom Lindsay to bundle over, with Walder's successful kick bringing the game back to nine points.
Errors began to creep into the match but class was running clear, with veteran Serge Betsen clearing up the mess, not knowing where to start because he seems to never end.
Wasps attacked in waves though to no avail, with each attack falling apart only to go around again, and with every passing minute, Quins looked more and more comfortable, Evans once again the epitomising the dominance with a seventh kick through the posts,
Andy Powell was bringing Wasps back into the game but for a superb saving tackle from Ugo Monye, and when Simpson's line break was stopped instantly, Wasps began to come to terms with the fact it wasn't to be their night.
Wade was the silver lining for Wasps as he showed a continuance in the wealth of wide players calling Adam's park home, following in the footsteps of the likes of Lewsey, Sackey and Lemi, whom he replaced in the first half, as he tried and tried to force an opening for his side.
Haughton then came to the party as he ran over Wasps third try to give the visitors a sniff.
Evans was having a party of his own though as he slotted a drop goal to seal it,
resigning Wasps to their worst away run in over a decade, as he looked like he had had tougher days in bed given his form.
Final Score Harlequins 32-22 London Wasps
Man of the Match: Nick Evans
Wasps horrid season continued despite admirable performances from the likes of Haughton, Simpson and Riki Flutey, and Harlequins showed their mid-season was just that, and present a formidable force in all tournaments including the challenge cup where they progress to face either Brive or Heineken dropouts Munster in the semi-finals.
