London Wasps defeat Leeds Tykes

After going for more than a month without a win, London Wasps have managed to secure an impressive 18-15 victory at high flying Leeds Tykes.

The victory, which is London Wasps's second away win of the season, will allow the Men in Black to go into the month of December easing the pressure of two consecutive defeats, and allows Warren Gatland's team a bit more breathing space going into the second round of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and Powergen Cup, before facing the Leicester Tigers after Christmas.

London Wasps started well and early pressure from the pack of forwards set up an 8th minute penalty for flyhalf Alex King.

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Somehow, the day was always going to be King's and when Welsh Wizard, Rob Howley, laid a short ball off to him, King jinxed Leeds's fullback Dan Scarborough to score under the posts. He converted, and Wasps extended the lead to 10-0. Braam Van Straaten brought the gap closer with penalties in the 22nd and 33rd minute.

The Leeds Tykes have relied heavily on Van Straaten this season and the South African has proved to be their match winner on more than one occasion. This time, however, London Wasps were up for the challenge, and when the ball was fed down the backline, Josh Lewsey was on hand to collect and score the second try of the game. King missed the conversion, and the score remained at 15-9 until half time.

In the second half, to their credit, Leeds threw everything at Gatland's team, and with two more penalties in the 45th and 62nd minute, it looked as if the Yorkshiremen might stage another comeback, similar to Adams Park three weeks ago. King squashed that theory with another penalty and London Wasps held on for the win, to take the side sixth on the log table.