Wasps 36 - 17 Glasgow: Wasps pack power puts plucky Warriors to sword

A YOUNG Warrriors side succumbed to the pack power of virtually full-strength English giants Wasps but took full marks for effort from their final pre-season friendly.

The Glasgow side, lacking six of their most experienced players, showed plenty of spirt. But props Jon Welsh and Moray Low came off decidedly second best in the front row battle with England duo Phil Vickery and Tim Payne who provided a strong platform which enabled Wasps to run in six tries.

Glasgow responded through winger DTH Van Der Merwe and replacement flanker Ryan Wilson and coach Sean Lineen said: "It was a game we needed. After last week against Sale we again played some good rugby and really got stuck into the contact but we have work to do at the set piece."

Starting strongly, Glasgow forced Wasps on the back foot from the second minute when a towering up and under from fly-half Duncan Weir had the London side in disarray. Warriors applied pressure for most of the opening quarter and should have had more than a 12th minute penalty from Weir for their efforts.

But they fell behind in the 20th minute when Wasps' Joe Simpson scored the first of his two opportunist tries. Warriors' defence opened up again for Simpson nine minutes later as he snatched the ball from the back of a scrum and scurried over.

Glasgow equalised three minutes later with a superb solo try from Van Der Merwe. The winger chipped the ball over the Wasps defensive line, snatched it up first bounce and sprinted in to leave Weir a simple conversion in front of the posts.

Wasps' forward supremacy created the space for wingers Tom Varndell and Christian Wade to race in for tries in the 33rd and 43rd minutes, with full-back Mark Van Gisbergen converting both.

Any lingering hopes of a Warriors victory ended when Wasps scored the try of the match, running the ball from their own 22, prop Zak Taulafo charging in on the hour.

Glasgow refused to roll over and their resolve was rewarded when a series of attacks ended with Ryan Wilson forcing his way over for a 75th minute try converted by Ruaridh Jackson. But Wasps had the final say when Jack Wallace scored their sixth try three minutes later.

Scorers: Wasps: Tries: Simpson, Varndell, Ward, Taulafo, Wallace. Cons: Van Gisbergen 2, Walder. Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Van Der Merwe, Wilson. Cons: Weir, Jackson. Pens: Weir.

Wasps: Van Gisbergen, Haughton, Jacobs, Waldouck, Varndell; Flutey, Simpson; Payne, Webber, Vickery, Shaw, Birkett, Worsley, Rees, Hart. Subs: Lindsay, Taulafo, Broster, Ward-Smith, Betsen, Berry, Walder, Wallace, Cannon, Jones, Wade.

Glasgow Warriors: Stortoni; Van Der Merwe, Evans, Morrison, O'Hare; Weir, Pyrgos, Welsh, Thomson, Low, Ryder, Gray; Swindall, Forrester, Vernon. Subs: MacArthur, Tkachuk, Muldowney, Grant, Jackson, Shaw, Murchie, Horne, Cliff, Harley, Dunbar, Wilson.