Zurich Premiership: King kills the party at Bath

Oh Bath where is thy sting? In their tail, almost. The one-time West Country kings played fast and Lewsey with Wasps here, found themselves trailing by 15 points midway through the second half, mounted a glorious comeback which appeared to be capped with a match-winning try in injury time, only for Alex King to drop a goal with the last kick of the match. Everybody looked stunned.

As draws go, this was from the top drawer, but such a result inevitably leaves a feeling of anti-climax, despite the extraordinary climax. Wasps, courtesy of two tries from Josh Lewsey in the space of a few minutes at the end of the first half, led 17-6 at the interval, and when they won a penalty try they extended their advantage to 24-9.

Cue the Bath revival. They were the only team in the Zurich Premiership not to have scored a try but they put that right in the 60th minute. Although Simon Danielli, freed on the left wing, had his ankle tapped by Paul Sampson, Bath spun it through the threequarters and Mike Tindall glided through a gap to score a classic try on the right. It was almost like old times as Bath went on the offensive.

Chris Malone, kicking in the absence of the injured Olly Barkley, added two penalties, the second being advanced by 10 yards for backchat by Phil Greening. The match was in its 82nd minute when King kicked straight to Mike Catt – they always said a feline can look at a monarch – and the full-back, deep inside his 22, unleashed Tom Voyce who had no option but to run... and run.

Voyce weaved his way through half the Wasps team before finding the support of Danny Grewcock, who drove towards the 22. The ball was recycled to the right where Dan Lyle, lurking on the wing, somehow stretched, eel-like, to touch down at the corner flag. Malone failed to convert but with only seconds remaining and Bath in front at 27-24, more than 8,000 people enjoying the sunshine were poised to hail the recovery of their team and the return to the Recreation Ground after eight years of the prodigal father, Jack Rowell.

From King's kick-off, Lyle, of all people, tapped the ball forward straight to the Wasps stand-off, whose dropped goal ensured the tie.

Bath began well enough, Malone kicking two early penalties, at which point Lawrence Dallaglio was in full referee-baiting mode. Nigel Whitehouse responded with a duck-like hand movement twixt thumb and fingers, the universal signal indicating an excess of chat.

After King made it 6-3, Lyle got a yellow card for killing the ball and now it was all Wasps although the finishing, particularly whenever Kenny Logan was involved, was inept. Tiring of seeing possession dropped, King resorted to a cross-kick to the right-hand corner, where Lewsey, Shane Roiser, Catt and Danielli were waiting beneath it. Lewsey emerged with the ball and the try.

That was in the 39th minute and as the half went into extra time Catt, on his own 22, threw out one of his characteristic long passes, which missed all the blue shirts and was instead taken by Roiser. The wing took flight, shaking off an attempted tackle by Catt, and although he was grounded just short of the line by Voyce, he popped the ball up for Lewsey to score.

Fourteen points in four minutes for Wasps and things were looking even bleaker for Bath when, in the 55th minute, Robert Howley, not for the first time, made a lovely break and was about to send in Greening when David Barnes obstructed the potential try-scorer and Whitehouse signalled a penalty try.

There was no argument from Bath who, under the captaincy of Grewcock, set about their exercise in rehabilitation. Whether they will have the services of the England lock in the coming weeks remains to be seen. He faces a disciplinary panel on Tuesday after being sent off during the defeat by Saracens last week.

Aside from Lewsey's tries, the first half was notable for two heavy collisions. The first came in the second minute when Jonathan Humphreys clattered into Howley, his former Cardiff clubmate, who never saw it coming. That, though, was mild compared to the moment when an irresistible force by the name of Alessio Galasso met an immovable object called Trevor Leota. Leota, who is built like an anvil, was hit on the cranium as if by a hammer.

The anvil came off second best. Leota insisted on staying on the field, but when it became obvious he did not have a clue where he was, or indeed who he was, the referee saved him from further punishment by pointing to the touchline.

The long-suffering supporters, however, were not spared further anguish.

Bath: M Catt; S Danielli, K Maggs, M Tindall, T Voyce; C Malone, G Cooper; D Barnes, J Humphreys (L Mears, 74), A Galasso (J Mallett, 61), A Beattie (A Lloyd, 72), D Grewcock (capt), G Thomas, N Thomas, D Lyle.

Wasps: J Lewsey; S Roiser (P Sampson, 40), S Abbott, M Denney, K Logan; A King, R Howley; C Dowd (W Green, 52), T Leota (P Volley, 24), D Malloy (C Dowd, 61), S Shaw, J Beardshaw (R Birkett, 64), J Worsley, L Dallaglio (capt), P Greening.

Referee: N Whitehouse (Wales).