Bath 34 London Wasps 42: Cipriani roams past Bath

Fly-half puts botched Italian job behind him as Wasps win nine-try thriller

Danny Cipriani, instrumental in an excellent victory for the visitors, shrugs off his England disappointment and dives over for a try (Getty Images)

Maybe they came to bury Daniel Cipriani rather than praise him, but the young stand-off proved a point or two here yesterday, as indeed did his team. Last week in Rome Danny boy, who came on for Jonny Wilkinson during England's dismal performance, had a chip kick charged down and conceded seven points as his team struggled to subdue the Italians.

In a much more gripping match at the Rec, Cipriani, re-acquainted with Roman architecture, scored a brilliant individual try which was the exception in a marvellous team performance by Wasps. Languishing in the lower half of the Guinness Premiership and desperate to make the end-of-season play-offs, the London club turned it on in the second half to such effect that Bath's proud home record – they hadn't been beaten in the league here since 2006 – was shattered.

There was an astonishing transformation. Bath led 20-13 at half-time, after which they were hit by the purplest of patches and, two minutes into the second half, Wasps were level at 20-20. A few minutes later they were 35-20 up, before emerging triumphant in one of the finest matches of the season by four goals, a try and three penalties to four goals and two penalties.

One of the questions was how Cipriani would react after his unfortunate experience in Rome. Well, he scored 22 points with a try, four conversions and three penalties, and what a try it was.

In the 15th minute, by which stage Wasps were trailing 10-3, Cipriani chipped ahead. This time the kick was well placed. Nick Abendanon hurtled in to deal with the danger but Cipriani, although half-tackled and very close to hitting the deck, regained possession superbly and left Andrew Higgins in his wake to complete a try that he had started deep in his own half.

Higgins had set the pace with an excellent try in the fifth minute, when the Wasps' defence was blitzed. Higgins was set free after coming in off the right wing and although his pass to Michael Lipman was knocked down by Tom Palmer, the wing collected the rebound to score.

After Bath's Shaun Berne had beaten Joe Worsley in a surge to the line his score was disallowed, the video official ruling that Tim Payne had forced Berne to drop the ball. Cipriani and Olly Barkley exchanged penalties but Bath regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Abendanon, with a centre of gravity as low as that of a centipede, worked his way over from close range, defying the defence.

However, two minutes into the second half good work by Mark van Gisbergen, Worsley and Palmer opened up a gap through which the England flanker James Haskell sprinted to score at the posts. To say that Wasps were flying was an understatement. A few minutes later David Doherty released Josh Lewsey on an overlap on the right, the Bath defence having been confused by a dummy run from Fraser Waters. Cipriani added a penalty via the top of an upright as his side scored 15 points in nine minutes.

Despite the best efforts of Abendanon, Lewsey then crossed for his second try, leaving observers to ponder again the mystery of why he has been omitted from the England set-up. Wasps had a 15-point lead but even then neither side was finished. Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu raised Bath's hopes with a try and Daniel Browne also scored a try, Bath's fourth, which brought a bonus point.

The only problem for the home team was that in between those two tries Wasps got another, Dan Leo crashing over after a sustained series of drives by an inspired pack. Leo had come on for the England lock Simon Shaw, who rather sluggishly left the pitch in the second half. The poor boy looked exhausted and he was not alone.

Bath: N Abendanon; J Maddock (M Banahan, 54), A Crockett (capt), O Barkley, A Higgins; S Berne (E Fuimaono-Sapolu, 60), M Claassens; D Barnes, L Mears (P Dixon, 59), M Stevens (A Jarvis, 77), P Short, D Grewcock, A Beattie (J Fa'amatuainu, 54), I Feau'nati (D Browne, 54), M Lipman.

Wasps: J Lewsey; R Hoadley (M van Gisbergen, 20), F Waters, D Waldouck, D Doherty; D Cipriani (D Walder, 79), M McMillan (E Reddan, 69); T Payne, J Ward (J Buckland, 66), P Vickery (N Adams, 76), S Shaw (D Leo, 56), T Palmer, J Haskell, J Hart (capt), J Worsley (R Webber, 69).

Referee: R Debney (Leicestershire).