Balshaw's recovery cut short by injury

Iain Balshaw's comeback was cut short yesterday after a dazzling but all too brief interlude. The England and Lions fullback was looking as sharp as a pine needle when he took a knock to the shoulder and, instead of reappearing for the second half, retired to the physiotherapist's couch.

Balshaw had been the toast of Twickenham before losing form and picking up injuries which last season saw him simultaneously wearing a sling to his shoulder and a cast on an ankle. Virtually confined to an armchair for seven months, Balshaw was in the third match of his recovery when he courageously fielded a high ball here, but then needed treatment after being buried beneath a pile of bodies.

It was a cruel blow for Balshaw, who had already made an impact, helping Bath to a valuable victory which put them into the quarter-finals of the Powergen Cup. For the West Country club it was almost like old times. After winning the cup on 10 occasions during an era when it was almost an annual event, Bath had not won a tie since beating London Scottish (remember them?) in the infamous ear-biting match at the Recreation Ground in 1998.

Wasps, who have never beaten Bath in the Cup, losing three finals in the process, forfeited their Christmas bonus yesterday with one of the more lacklustre displays of the season. In what admittedly were unhelpful conditions at Adams Park, the Wasps handling was awful, their motivation and commitment questionable. For the most part they looked as if they were on holiday.

By contrast Bath, who are having a very lean time of it in the Zurich Premiership, handled with far greater conviction and generally looked much sharper and hungrier.

Balshaw was in full flow after only three minutes when he took a risky, long pass from Olly Barkley. It was a 50-50 ball that looked as if it could have been intercepted, but instead Balshaw skipped past Martyn Wood and rounded Shane Roiser before his pace got him over in the left-hand corner. Were he not so young, it could have been described as vintage Balshaw.

Barkley's conversion went over via an upright and for the first time in a long time Bath felt their luck was in. Wasps barely touched the ball in the opening 10 minutes, but when they did they invariably knocked it on or turned it over. But they established a foot-hold after a break by Fraser Waters and their reward was a penalty try after a series of scrums close to the Bath line had been brought down, and Jonathan Humphreys and John Mallett both been warned.

Although Barkley failed with a penalty attempt, he was on target in the 34th minute to regain the lead for Bath, which they were never to lose. Balshaw looked as if he was back to his bolshie best when he set off on a run and then remonstrated with Mike Tindall for not reading his pass.

The non-appearance of Balshaw after the interval was a bitter personal blow, but in fact Bath inadvertently benefited. On the restart Paul Volley knocked the ball on and from the resultant scrum Chris Malone, who had come on at fly-half with Barkley moving to full-back, ran through a seemingly mesmerised Wasps defence on a run that took him inside and outside a blanket of yellow jerseys. According to a Bath aficionado, Malone, an Australian who joined the club from Exeter last year, had produced the first break of his Premiership career.

Wasps also rearranged their back line, through choice rather than injury. They brought on Rob Howley at scrum-half, put Mark van Gisbergen at full-back in place of Josh Lewsey, who switched to the wing, and introduced Ayoola Erinle at centre for Waters. This was all very well, but the pack also needed an injection of vitality.

When Barkley kicked his second penalty on the hour to put Bath 20-7 in front, it was finally the signal for Wasps to raise their game. A lifeline was provided by the redoubtable Trevor Leota, the Samoan burrowing over from a series of rolling mauls that came from a tap penalty.

Alex King's conversion from the touchline and a penalty in the 74th minute when Bath were caught with hands in the ruck should have resulted in a grandstand finish, but it never really materialised. Instead there was the grim spectacle of Erinle being knocked unconscious accidentally by a knee to the head from Tindall as the Bath centre put in a clearance kick.

Having used all their threequarter replacements, Wasps had to send on a forward, Joe Beardshaw, and move Dallaglio into the centre. When Wasps attempted a final assault through their pack, they invariably knocked the ball on and the disappointing Dallaglio could do nothing but watch in splendid isolation.

There was good news on the casualty front. Balshaw, taken off as a precaution, has inflamed his shoulder, not broken it. And Erinle, who was stretchered off after a long delay, regained consciousness in the dressing room.

The 21-year-old centre, nevertheless, was taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up. Whether Wasps and their captain Dallaglio will come to their senses in time for the visit of Leicester on Friday remains to be seen. Once again their name will be absent from the quarter-final draw when it is made today.

Wasps: J Lewsey; S Roiser (M Van Gisbergen, 45), F Waters (A Erinle, 56; J Beardshaw, 82), S Abbott, K Logan; A King, M Wood (R Howley, 45); C Dowd, T Leota, W Green, S Shaw, R Birkett, L Dallaglio (capt), P Scrivener (M Lock, 35), P Volley.

Bath: I Balshaw (C Malone, 40); S Danielli, K Maggs, M Tindall, T Voyce; O Barkley (M Perry, 65), G Cooper (A Williams, 40); D Barnes, J Humphreys (A Long, 56), J Mallett (A Galasso, 47), S Borthwick, D Grewcock (cap), G Thomas (A Beattie, 75), N Thomas, A Vander (J Scaysbrook, 66).

Referee: A Rowden (Berkshire).