Premiership: London Irish 36-39 Wasps - Tom Willis scores hat-trick in stunning comeback win

Tom Willis' hat-trick try secured the win for Wasps deep into added time

Tom Willis struck deep into injury time to complete a second-half hat-trick and help Wasps to a remarkable comeback win over London Irish.

The back-rower struck in the 85th minute as his side came back from being 33-10 down at half-time.

Irish scored first-half tries through Ollie Hassell-Collins and doubles from Curtis Rona and Albert Tuisue.

But Josh Bassett, Marcus Watson and Willis' treble clinched a stunning turnaround victory.

It moved Wasps above their opponents and up to seventh, with Irish dropping to ninth having lost six league games in a row.

Rona put the Exiles ahead after only two minutes and Hassell-Collins sprinted away for a second within the opening five minutes.

Jacob Umaga's penalty got Wasps on the scoreboard before the hosts made it three tries inside 20 minutes when Terrence Hepetema flicked the ball on to centre partner Rona for his second.

Wasps hit back on the half-hour mark when winger Bassett intercepted a wayward Irish pass to go under the posts, before Hepetema was yellow-carded by referee Tom Foley for a high tackle on Willis.

Albert Tuisue crossed the line twice in quick succession as Irish scored five first-half tries

Despite being down to 14 men, the hosts extended their lead as Tuisue scored twice in five minutes to bring up the bonus point and make it 33-10 at the break.

Wasps scored twice in the opening seven minutes after the restart, with Willis going over in the corner before Watson crossed the line on his return from injury to reduce the gap to 13.

Adam Coleman became the second Exiles player to be sin-binned after 55 minutes and Wasps took immediate advantage, with Willis scoring his second from a driving maul.

Paddy Jackson's penalty on the hour mark gave the hosts their first and only points of the second half, but it did nothing to slow Wasps' momentum as Bassett's second, converted by Umaga, made it 36-32 with 14 minutes remaining.

Irish were camped on their own line in the closing stages but could not hold out, as Willis crashed over from short range to claim a win which boosts his side's hopes of European rugby next season.

London Irish: Parton; Stokes, Rona, Hepetema, Hassell-Collins; Jackson, Groom; Goodrick-Clarke, Creevy, Hoskins, Coleman, Simmons, Rogerson, Cowan (capt), Tuisue.

Replacements: Matu'u, Gigena, Chawatama, Nott, O'Brient, Cooke, Brand, Atkins.

Wasps: Atkinson; Watson, De Jongh, Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Umaga, Robson; West, Oghre, Brookes, Rowlands, Gaskell, Shields (capt), Young, T Willis.

Replacements: Cruse, McIntyre, Toomaga-Allen, Cardall, Vailanu, Vellacott, Gopperth, Miller.

Referee: Tom Foley (RFU).

• Rugby Weekly Union podcast - listen and subscribe here