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Wednesday, 4 October, 2000, 22:02 GMT 23:02 UK
Whites wash over the Wasps
Swansea 54-28 London Wasps
Welsh internationals Arwel Thomas and Matthew Robinson ran riot as Swansea tore Wasps apart to inflict a Heineken Cup hammering on the hapless Londoners at St Helen's.
Mercurial fly-half Thomas kicked 29 points including three second-half drop-goals, while wing Robinson claimed a tournament equalling four tries.
Wasps, despite a heroic performance in adversity from England back-row man Joe Worsley, were blown away by Swansea's dynamic duo.
Robinson collected his hat-trick before the interval, finishing off some brilliant approach work from Swansea skipper Scott Gibbs and his outstanding midfield colleague Mark Taylor.
Although Worsley scored two of Wasps' three tries, they were never in the game and gave themselves far too much to do with Swansea leading 31-13 at the break.
Wasps begin their European campaign with three successive away games, a challenging prospect for any side, but neither skipper Lawrence Dallaglio nor rugby director Nigel Melville could have anticipated a rout on this scale.
Wasps came horribly unstuck on their last Heineken Cup trip to Wales, losing against Llanelli nine months ago and sacrificing any chance of a quarter-final home tie.
And Swansea seemed to thrive on being aware of Wasps' fallibility, tearing into them with an unbelievable degree of commitment and determination.
While Robinson claimed the try-scoring honours, it was Thomas' all-round game that really held Wasps in a trance.
At times during the second half he seemed to have the visitors in a trance, toying with them during an eight-minute spell when he slotted that drop-goal hat-trick.
Only one of his nine goal kicks failed to find the target, and he rounded off the afternoon with a flourish, converting Gibbs' fifth and final Swansea try from the touch line.
Early Wasps lead
Swansea were six points up inside 10 minutes, but Wasps scored from their first dangerous attack, the impressive Worsley displaying all his pace and power to burst through Swansea's defenders.
Kenny Logan converted for a narrow lead, and at that stage there was nothing to suggest what a spectacular exhibition Swansea were reserving for a vociferous home crowd.
Robinson opened his account on 20 minutes after scrum-half Rhodri Jones cleverly switched the direction of attack, and Swansea were suddenly in overdrive as Thomas converted and then booted another penalty.
It was now all hands on deck for the Wasps defence as Swansea attacked from all angles, and that spirit of adventure was underlined 12 minutes before the break when Taylor broke magnificently from inside his own half, Gibbs acted as the link man and Robinson did the rest.
Swansea still had not finished though, and in first-half injury time, a Wasps defensive blunder was punished and the Swansea faithful were in raptures.
Robinson required less than three minutes of the second period to post try number four, a touchdown which put him level with a handful of other players to claim four tries in a Heineken Cup match.
Wasps were now reduced to the role of bit-part players, and the closing 20 minutes belonged to Thomas.
Although Dallaglio's shell-shocked team conjured late consolation tries for Worsley and Josh Lewsey, nothing could steal Swansea's thunder and Gibbs duly brought up the half century one minute from time.
Swansea face French champions Stade Francais at home next Saturday, when another win would leave them handily placed in the quarter-final race from pool two.
Wasps have got to regroup for the trip to Italians L'Aquila, but before then they can expect a hard week's work on the training field.
Wasps wing Kenny Logan was disappointed at their display, saying: "If we're at our best we should win these games."
Wasps director of rugby Nigel Melville said after the game: "I am very disappointed - we didn't hold on to any ball, and it is back to the drawing board."
"We just didn't play, and if that happens then you will get beaten. There are no excuses, we just turned over too much ball and gave away too much possession.
"At the moment, we are blowing hot and cold but all credit to Swansea, they played very well today."
Swansea star Arwel Thomas was delighted with the display:
"Before today, we hadn't really clicked, but we knew that we could do it and we rose to the occasion," he said.
The Swansea coach, New Zealander John Plumtree, added: "That was certainly one of our best performances. We talked all week about playing for 80 minutes, and that is what happened.
"But this is a tough competition, and we are not going to believe our headlines. For us, it is a case of building on this display."
Wasps lost prop Darren Molloy with a rib injury, but Melville is optimistic that he will be fit for next weekend's trip to Italian club L'Aquila.
Scorers - Swansea: Tries: S Gibbs, M Robinson (4); Cons: A Thomas (4); Pens: Thomas (4); Drop Goals: Thomas (3)
London Wasps: Tries: Lewsey, J Worsley (2); Cons: K Logan (2); Pens: Logan (3)
Swansea: K Morgan, S Payne, M Taylor, S Gibbs (capt), M Robinson, A Thomas, Rhodri Jones, D Morris, G Jenkins, B Evans, T Maullin, A Moore, G Lewis, H Jenkins, C Charvis
Wasps: J Lewsey, S Roiser, C Denney, R Henderson, K Logan, A King, Wood, Molloy, T Leota, W Green, Reed, S Shaw, J Worsley, Volley, L Dallaglio
Referee: J Bume (France)
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