Gloucester’s Danny Cipriani returns to haunt Wasps

It could not have been any other way. Danny Cipriani returned to the club that let him go, now king of the one who took him in, and masterminded that rarest of phenomena in recent years, a Gloucester away win. Not only that, they took a bonus point back with them. Cipriani pocketed 15 points, sparked what will no doubt prove one of the tries of the season and generally ran the show with customary aplomb.

It was a sobering afternoon for Wasps – and for the England manager, Eddie Jones. Not only did the man both have so recently passed over shine so brightly, Dan Robson, finally accepted by Jones into the England fold, left the field in the first half with an ankle injury. He may be a doubt for England’s autumn, but certainly for Wasps’ trip to Dublin to take on Leinster, no less, in the Champions Cup on Friday.

This was no send-off. They were strangely lacking in snap, and their discipline in the first half helped Gloucester stockpile a lead that would never run out.

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Cipriani was magisterial. They say he is taking over at Gloucester. If this is the result, all power to him. Here he relieved Billy Twelvetrees of the kicking duties, whether as a permanent policy or just to rub salt into Wasps’ wounds time will tell.

Robson, in happier times, had opened the scoring with a lightning break round the fringes of a ruck in the third minute, Nathan Hughes having reintroduced himself to Cipriani’s shoulder in no uncertain terms, but the rest of the half belonged to Gloucester. They tapped a 22 to release Cipriani down the left. He exchanged passes with Ben Vellacott, as they showcased their way towards the 22-metre line at the other end, where Cipriani’s wicked chip was gathered by Vellacott for one of the tries of the season.

The next a few minutes later was a picture too. Cipriani had a hand, of course, but can hardly be held responsible for the footwork of Tom Hudson, to whom he passed. Gloucester’s full-back beat two in seemingly no space at all to release Charlie Sharples. Two Cipriani penalties had the visitors 20-7 up at the break.

Wasps seized the initiative on the resumption and worked Elliot Daly through a gap after much pressure, but a third Cipriani penalty took Gloucester more than a score clear again. Just past the hour, Wasps struck again, Craig Hampson’s chip ahead touched down by Juan de Jongh to reduce the arrears to two.

This is where Gloucester might have been expected to implode. Up, instead, stepped Cipriani. He can kick too, as is often overlooked, and two fine examples, one in open play, one from a penalty, had Gloucester suddenly on Wasps’ five-metre line. They hammered to within inches, when Cipriani called for it and fed Jason Woodward. His pass out of the tackle put Sharples over for his second. The pass looked well forward, so Cipriani drop-kicked the conversion and hit the post.

No matter, Gloucester had the bonus point and an unassailable lead three minutes later, when Lewis Ludlam drove over from short range.