Jacobs stands tall for Wasps to leave Booth in a 'state of shock'

The only consistent element to Wasps this season has been their inconsistency. But yesterday they produced their best result of the Aviva Premiership, and against London Irish who have headed the table for much of the past three months.

They did so thanks in no small measure to Ben Jacobs, their Australian centre who scored one try and created the other two. In the absence through injury of Riki Flutey and Dominic Waldouck, it was the right time for Jacobs to stand tall and give his side a cutting edge, which has been absent for far too long.

"We had earmarked these three weeks as being pivotal in the season, to get up to halfway in the table," Tony Hanks, the Wasps director of rugby, said. "This was an important game if we were to stay in the mix because I could see a huge separation happening if we lost. The win lifts us to sixth in the table, and we showed we are on the right track."

Yet after the interval, the momentum was clearly with the Irish, for whom Adams Park has been something of a graveyard; in their last 10 visits they have won only once but after Daniel Bowden's try gave them the lead, they lost two scoring chances when a desperate defence denied first Nick Kennedy, then Steffon Armitage within inches of the home line.

"I'm sitting here in a state of shock," Toby Booth, the Exiles head coach, said. "I'm flabbergasted about being in such a good position and then losing the game – and not even getting a bonus point."

That was denied them with the last kick of the game when, with 80 minutes up, the Irish scrum collapsed under their own posts and Dave Walder's penalty goal pushed the difference to eight points.

"There are some very quiet and disappointed guys in our changing room because they know they had a game for the winning out there and didn't win it," Booth added.

The coach must now prepare his players for a visit to Northampton, who lead the table, on Friday. "We created plenty of chances and we'd better learn quickly to take them," he said. He will not look forward to reviewing the game's first try, when Jacobs went through four tackles to score and complete a flowing Wasps attack, which started from a quickly-taken drop-out.

At that stage, Wasps had already been warned about conceding simple penalties and one such cost them Tim Payne, sent to the sin-bin for persistent offside infringements just before the interval. London Irish had already scored a try through Paul Hodgson, finishing Chris Hala'ufia's break to the blind-side of a scrum, and in Payne's absence the visitors added 10 points.

But the kicking of Walder kept Wasps in touch, their pack did the groundwork and, on a grey day, Jacobs splashed the colour. His switch behind a scrum 40 metres out gave Walder and Joe Worsley a surge to the line and, from the ruck, Steve Kefu crossed for the try that nudged Wasps ahead.

Even better was the third home try, which stemmed from a turnover on halfway. Jacobs, who learned his trade with New South Wales, drew the defence then slipped a delightful pass to Tom Varndell and the wing, who has appeared in every Premiership game this season, roared home. The Irish worked Paulica Ion over the line but, in the end, went home with nothing.

Scorers: Wasps: Tries Jacobs, Kefu, Varndell; Conversions Walder 3; Penalty goals Walder 4. London Irish: Tries Hodgson, Bowden, Ion; Conversions Lamb 2; Penalty goals: Lamb 2.

Wasps: M van Gisbergen; R Haughton, B Jacobs, S Kefu, T Varndell; D Walder, J Simpson; T Payne (sin bin 34-44), J Ward, B Broster, S Shaw, J Cannon (S Ruwers, 40-44; M Veale, 63), J Worsley, T Rees (capt), D Ward-Smith.

London Irish: J Lennard (C Malone, 73); T Ojo, E Seveali'i, D Bowden, J Joseph; R Lamb, P Hodgson; C Dermody (capt; A Corbisiero, 73), D Paice (J Buckland, 73), F Rautenbach (P Ion, 54), N Kennedy, R Casey, K Roche (M Garvey, 54), S Armitage, C Hala'ufia (R Thorpe, 78).

Referee: B Lawrence (New Zealand).