LV= Cup: Five try Gloucester crush Wasps
Flanker Matt Cox and centre Henry Trinder both scored two tries as Gloucester beat Wasps 36-5 in the LV= Cup.
Last Updated: 01/02/14 5:38pm
There was nothing riding on the outcome of the match in terms of cup qualification but, with big Aviva Premiership clashes next week - Gloucester at Sale Sharks and Wasps tackling Harlequins at The Stoop - there was much for both coaches to take a look at.
But, with prop Dan Murphy grabbing a fifth try for the home side - with full-back Rob Cooke kicking 11 points via a penalty and four conversions - against a solitary Ashley Johnson try, Wasps were never in the match.
The Londoners' director of rugby Dai Young wandered down to the changing room from the back of the main Kingsholm stand just before half-time with a lot more to talk to his men about than the opposition as they turned around 22-5 behind.
Gloucester came out meaning business straight away, putting Wasps on the back foot and threatening to get a bonus point before the break.
So quickly did Gloucester come out of the blocks, with Trinder going over twice in five minutes, and so half-asleep did the Londoners look that it threatened to turn into a thrashing for the home side.
Gloucester could have had a try in the opening minutes as big pressure on the Wasps line saw referee Greg MacDonald award a penalty to the Cherry and Whites when it could easily have been a penalty try.
However, Gloucester were denied a score for only 13 minutes when Trinder finished off a neat chip that fell onto the Wasps line for the centre to jump highest and come down for the unconverted try.
And Wasps committed a fatal error on 18 minutes when a wild pass on the home 22 saw the centre collect and sprint 75 metres to the line for Cooke to convert easily.
The Londoners looked like they had not woken from their trip to the West Country when they found themselves almost down and out by the end of the first quarter as Cox went over for the first of his pair.
Wasps produced a little bit of resistance after that and managed to rumble Johnson over for their only touchdown of the match from five metres at an attacking line-out.
But the intensity was lacking from the Wasps' side of things although Johnson had a terrific afternoon, making metres of space when he had the opportunity and generally causing a nuisance.
The second period was, though, low in excitement and, when Cox went over for his second try on the hour, it gave Gloucester a group bonus point, although with Saracens already qualified as group winners to the cup semi-finals, it meant nothing in the wider context of things.
And when Wasps centre Chris Bell was sin-binned for illegality at a ruck, it gave Gloucester the initiative for replacement prop Murphy to take a pass from scrum-half Jimmy Cowan from two metres out and dive over for a final converted touchdown as the crowds trickled away from the stands.