Early exit but some promising talents for Wasps at 7s

Wasps made an early exit from the Middlesex Sevens as they followed defeat in their first game with a 26-20 loss to Northampton Saints in the Plate quarter-final.

But four tries for Acadmey talent, Christian Wade, was a real positive from their day and means their trip to Twickenham was not a wasted journey.

Like they did against Leeds in their first game, Wasps made a flying start to their plate quarter-final with Northampton with two tries coming in the first three minutes as they raced into a 10-0 lead.

Mark Odejobi got the ball rolling when he shook off Anders Mogensen on the right to run in from 20 yards, and although John Bordiss missed the conversion Wasps was back at Saints' throats again just two minutes later and it was that man Wade doing the damage again.

His third try of the tournament was a simple finish after good work from his forwards and gave Wasps a comfortable cushion.

Saints did not let them rest though, and when Odejobi was outnumbered two to one Northampton did not waste the opportunity and Mogensen ran through to touch down under the posts.

Tom Foden converted to make it 10-7, but Wade was quickly establishing himself as one of the eye-catching talents on display and seconds before half time his blistering pace down the right left both Foden and Grant Pointer clasping thin air.

But their 15-7 interval lead was blown apart in the second half as Northampton ran in three quick tries to power into a 25-15 lead.

Pointer scored the first after slipping past Dan Leo, James Honeyben thought he had prevented the second with a good tackle on his own line but Foden picked up the loose ball to dive over and with three minutes left John Brake withstood two tackles to go over in the corner.

Staring certain defeat in the face, Wasps still managed the final word when Honeyben, Eoghan Hickey and Odejobi pushed Saints back to their own line with neat inter-passing.

Northampton shuffled across and had appeared to snuffle out the danger. But no defence is safe with Wade around and when the ball found its way to him he swivelled and twisted his way over.

London Wasps

Christian Wade, Arthur Ellis, Mark Odejobi, Dan Leo, James Honeyben, Johnny Bordiss, Jack Wallace

Northampton

John Brake, Grant Pointer, Tom Foden, Grant Anderson, Anders Mogenson, Owen Giles, Mike Haywood

Click here for a round up of the first match against Leeds.