That Wasps were impressive, playing with pace, power and cohesion, goes without saying. The fact is, however, that they were allowed to dictate terms from the beginning by a Bath team embarrassingly deficient in ability and, less forgivably, the spirit that once characterised the club.
The only surprising thing about Fraser Waters' opening score, created by Alex King and Joe Worsley, was that it took 13 minutes to arrive. Bath were in more trouble three minutes later, when Nick Abendanon's loose kick was fielded by Simon Amor, who found Ayoola Erinle on his right. The centre timed his pass perfectly for Mark van Gisbergen to give Edd Thrower room to squeeze in at the corner.
In trying to take a quick 22-yard drop, Eliota Fuimaono saw the ball bounce back off Tim Payne and gathered by Waters, who spun it right for Thrower to score his second try. The wing made it a hat-trick 10 minutes after the break, after Amor made a 60-yard break. Though the scrum-half was hauled down just short Bath failed to get back to cover, and Van Gisbergen's pass gave Thrower more than enough time to cross unopposed.
Having been repeatedly knocked back by sound defence around the ruck, there was a certain irony in the fact that the visitors scored within seconds of Lawrence Dallaglio coming on, James Scaysbrook driving through from 15 yards. Normal service was quickly resumed when, after Danny Cipriani's break, Van Gisbergen scored Wasps' sixth try, and then Cipriani intercepted and sprinted 75 metres to score on his full debut. Bath brought on Chev Walker, but the former rugby league star will not remember his debut fondly.
Wasps Van Gisbergen; Thrower, Erinle, Waters (Cipriani, 69), Voyce; King (capt; Walder, 41), Amor (Reddan, 78); Payne, Ward (Barrett, 66), Bracken (Adams, 72), Shaw (Skivington, 78), Birkett, Haskell, O'Connor (Dallaglio, 66), Worsley.
Tries Waters, Thrower 4, Van Gisbergen, Cipriani. Cons Van Gisbergen, Walder 2. Pens Van Gisbergen, Walder.
Bath Abendanon (Maddock, 58); Stephenson, Cheeseman (Walker, 71), Fuimaono, Bory; Malone, Williams; Barnes, Hawkins, Flatman, Short, Louw (Faamatuainu, 69), Beattie (C), Scaysbrook (Goodman 76), Feaunati.
Cons Malone. Pens Malone 2.
Referee D Rose (Warwickshire; A Rowden, Berkshire, 53). Attendance 7,309.
