Wasps look ready to fly into Europe

FOR ALL the fuss about this being the contest for the fourth qualifying place to next season's sparkling European competition, it looked for all the world like a rough dogfight on a local park.

There were penalties in profusion, the odd punch-up, lots of huff and puff - and even a handful of tries. What there wasn't much of was anything resembling the high skill and flair that the naive might imagine high- calibre rugby should be about.

At the end of the scramble, Wasps won a convincing, if unspectacular, victory to keep the two sides level in the table and each with a chance of finishing in a position which all assume will guarantee European rugby.

Ironically, Wasps were handed their lead by a blunder from Sale's strongest weapon, Paul Turner. He had an age to clear his lines but decided to shimmy away from the pursuing flanker Buster White. When he did kick, White was upon him to charge down and ground the ricochet.

Turner always has been one of those infuriating fly-halfs, capable of winning or losing a game in a move. His arrogance either tempts him into trying the apparently impossible and pulling it off, or into outright folly. Against Turner's wayward imagination, Wasps relied on their powerful forwards, with prop Ian Dunston and flanker Lawrence Dallaglio to the fore. Behind them, Andy Gomarsall snapped away around the scrums. They set up Wasps' second try when they gave Nick Greenstock a gap to sneak through in the centre.

It was enough to put Wasps in control. They followed it up with a third try when Laurence Scrace had the ball worked wide to him on his wing.

Sale finally managed a consolation try when the scrum-half, Christian Saverimutto, scrambled through a maul on the Wasps line. Apart from that, Rob Liley was the only Sale scorer, with three penalties and a conversion. For Wasps, Guy Gregory got a couple of conversions and a brace of penalties.

At the end of it all, Wasps and Sale still each have a hopeful eye on Europe. Of the game itself, the lasting memory is of the tiny Turner wrestling in the mud with the bulk of Wasps' forward Richard Kinsey. All probably best forgotten.

Wasps: J Ufton; L Scrace, N Greenstock, D Hopley, S Roiser; G Gregory, A Gomarsall; D Molloy, K Dunn, I Dunston, A Rougboh, R Kinsey, M White, L Dallaglio (capt), P Scrivener.

Sale: J Mallinder (capt); R Liley, J Baxendell, G Higginbotham, C Yates; P Turner, C Saverimutto; P Smith, S Diamond, A Yates, J Fowler, D Baldwin, P Hewitt, N Ashurst, C Vyvyan.

Referee: C White (Gloucester).