Wasps, champions in 2004, cruised to the top of Pool One last night with embarrassing ease, scoring nine unanswered tries - equalling the club record in the competition - while unearthing a new talent in the process.
Dominic Waldouck did not figure in Wasps plans for the Heineken Cup until Ayoola Erinle broke his leg last week and the 19-year-old was drafted in as a replacement. Yesterday, starting in the centre alongside Josh Lewsey, he was involved in five of Wasps tries and created a five-man overlap for what should have been another, only to see it squandered.
Weather-wise he might have chosen a better day to showcase his talents, but he still walked off with the man-of-the-match award, albeit against a side that had lost their previous nine matches in Europe and were never going to be strong enough.
Wasps, after slipping up at Perpignan, are once again sitting pretty and will expect to repeat yesterday's result in Italy next Saturday. However, the one dark cloud is the improving Heineken form of Castres, their final pool opponents.
On the opening weekend of the competition, and at Adams Park, Wasps just about squeezed passed the French side, who were temporarily top of the pool on Saturday night after a home win against Perpignan. They may be 11th of 14 in the French league, but seem to be saving their best for Europe.
That Wasps had lost their last three domestic fixtures was neither here nor there. Treviso are nothing like the side that ambushed the former champions five years ago. Injuries and the Italian Federation's strict new rules on qualification meant that they fielded seven players who were in their academy last year.
Wasps were stronger all over the field, shoving the scrum around, out-leaping Treviso in the lineout and, had they mastered the downpour better, the game could have been over within 20 minutes. Instead Wasps had to settle for a bonus point after all of 30 minutes.
The lure of that point, which could decide a tight group, was apparent immediately with Alex King kicking away the chance of a third-minute goal in favour of a five-metre lineout. It set the pattern for the day. Joe Worsley, back from England duty, rose above everyone, the forwards applied their weight, and Raphael Ibanez was credited with the points.
The lineout again proved Treviso's undoing for the second try seven minutes later. This time it was their ball but Simon Shaw rose highest, Waldouck stabbed a skidding kick through the defence and Lewsey was the first of three black shirts waiting for the touchdown. The queue was even longer two minutes later when Waldouck again baffled Treviso only to see Tom Voyce lose control over the line.
However, the teenager kept his best for later, putting Voyce in for the eighth score of the day before setting up another 19-year-old, Danny Cipriani, for the try which equalled the nine Wasps scored against Toulouse in the first year of the competition and repeated against Calvisano in the season they took the title.
"He's got super feet and super hands," said Shaun Edwards, the Wasps head coach. "And there is plenty more to come. It's very rewarding because we first saw Dan play as a schoolboy."
Craig Green, Treviso's New Zealand head coach, was less enthusiastic, although he did say he might sign Will Johnson, brother of Martin and also formerly of Leicester, before the return match. "Until two years ago we [Italian clubs] were still competing, but it's a different ball game now. The rules the federation have laid down have created the ball park and we have to play in it."
Wasps Van Gisbergen; Sackey, Lewsey (Ciprani, 31), Waldouck, Voyce; King (capt; Staunton, 63), Reddan (McMillan, 62); Payne (Vickery, 70), Ibanez (Ward, 62), Vickery (Adams, 62); Shaw (Skivington, 62), Palmer; Leo, Rees, Worsley (Dallaglio, 62).
Tries Ibanez, Lewsey 2, Rees 2, Voyce 2, Sackey, Cipriani. Cons Van Gisbergen 5.
Treviso Mulieri; Perziano (Candiago, 58), Pizarro, Sartoretto, Sgarbi; Marcato, Picone (capt; Goosen 63); Sbaraglini (E Ceccato, 71), E Ceccato (Santo, h-t), Allori (Faliva, ht); Kingi (Pauletti, 73), Wentzel (Sutto, 43); Pavanello, A Ceccato (Pelizzari, 56), Ansell.
