Premiership: London Irish 13-17 Wasps

Wasps finally found their rhythm in the second half after failing to click for much of the game

Wasps came from behind to win their third Premiership game in a row and condemn London Irish to an eighth consecutive league defeat.

Irish were ahead for a large proportion of the game after Tommy Bell's penalty was added to by Alex Lewington's second-half interception try.

However, Wasps fought back with scores from Ashley Johnson, Josh Bassett and Nizaam Carr to finally go in front.

The losing bonus point sees the Exiles five points adrift at the bottom.

Dai Young's Wasps, meanwhile, leapfrog Northampton into sixth in the table with their four-point haul.

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Having seen Worcester stun Leicester in Saturday's Premiership fixtures, the onus was on London Irish to get a result to keep in touch with the teams above them even at this early stage of the season.

They responded, disrupting Wasps' flow in the first half, and taking advantage of indiscipline with Bell's penalty goal.

Despite being behind for long periods Wasps never stopped trying to play and, although it proved costly when an attack from deep was picked off for Lewington's score, it eventually allowed them to impose their qualities on the Exiles.

Willie e Roux's class from backfield, added to the ball-handling skills of Dan Robson and substitute Danny Cipriani, eventually unlocked the door for scores by Bassett and Premiership debutant Carr, although it was Johnson's bludgeon off a line-out that triggered the fightback.

Wasps are finding form after ending a run of four straight losses through September and October but for Irish the inability to turn performances into points remains a frustration for Nick Kennedy and company.

London Irish director of rugby Nick Kennedy told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"A similar close loss to last week, but an improved performance again from us.

"The boys fought extremely hard with some excellent defence against one of the best attacks in the league. Once again, it's fine margins that have cost us.

"Disappointing to be on the wrong end of the result, but at the same time more evidence that everything is moving in the right direction for us with our improvements.

"We're running our own race. We're the promoted team with a lot of work to do and we're working extremely hard to do it."

Wasps head coach Dai Young told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:

"We made hard work of it but you have to give London Irish a lot of respect, over the last few games they have pushed every team they have played and there's not been much in it.

"That was the case today and it could have gone either way. We had more quality in the end to pull away, I don't think we were great, we were 5% off, and if you're 5% off, then anyone can beat you in this league.

"We defended well, set-piece wise were good, we showed glimpses of how good we are with the ball but we've got to respect the ball better, we need more patience and composure. If you give the better teams that kind of ball in those areas we'll come unstuck."

London Irish: Marshall; Cokanasiga, Mulchrone, McLean, Lewington; Bell, Meehan; Franks, Paice (capt), Hoskins, Van der Merwe, Paulo, Coman, Northcote-Green, Cowan.

Replacements: Woolstencroft, Elrington, Du Plessis, De Chaves, Gilsenan, Steele, Tonks, Fowlie.

Wasps: Le Roux; Wade, De Jongh, Lovobalavu, Bassett; Gopperth, Simpson; McIntyre, Johnson (capt), Cooper-Woolley, Gaskell, Rowlands, Haskell, Thompson, Carr.

Replacements: Charles, Harris, Moore, Myall, Willis, Robson, Cipriani, Miller.

Referee: Christophe Ridley