PAOLO ODOGWU scored a stoppage time try to complete an extraordinary late comeback as Wasps beat Exeter Chiefs 27-26 to earn a bonus-point win and climb up the Gallagher Premiership table.
Paolo Odogwu celebrates scoring Wasps opening try against Exeter. Picture by Harry Trump/Getty Images.
Odogwu started and finished the scoring at Sandy Park with Joe Launchbury and Alfie Barbeary also touching down whilst Jimmy Gopperth kicked seven points.
Lee Blackett’s side trailed 21-8 at half-time and were 18 points behind at one stage in the second half before Launchbury’s score sparked an impressive comeback.
Victory marked Wasps second away win of the season and ensured a third straight league success to lift the club up to sixth in the table.
Wasps drew first blood after just four minutes when Odogwu scampered over the line in the corner for his first try of the season following good work from Tom Cruse and Charlie Atkinson.
The hosts struck back through Tom O’Flaherty on 14 minutes when he dotted down from close range with Joe Simmonds adding the extras to put the Chiefs ahead.
A Gopperth penalty edged Wasps back into the lead on 24 minutes only for Lewis Pearson to touch down for a converted try underneath the posts for Exeter from the restart.
And the Chiefs went further ahead on 37 minutes when Jack Innard forced his way over the line in the corner with Simmonds superbly converting from the touchline to send Wasps into the break trailing by 13 points.
Exeter scored their fourth try early in the second period as Richard Capstick grounded the ball on 41 minutes only for Simmonds to miss with a relatively simple conversion attempt.
And that miss would prove crucial come the final whistle as Launchbury touched down in just his second game back from a nine-month injury layoff on 48 minutes which was well converted by Gopperth.
The home side thought they had wrapped up the win with 10 minutes left to play, only for Tom Hendrickson to inexplicably spill the ball as he reached for the line.
And buoyed by this let-off, Wasps scored their third try on 78 minutes when Barbeary crashed over from a driving maul with Gopperth’s excellent conversion reducing the deficit to four points.
Blackett’s side stole the points four minutes into the red when Odogwu scored his second of the match in the right corner from Atkinson’s cut-out pass to complete a remarkable comeback.
Wasps are next in action at home to Bath on Saturday, February 12 with kick-off at 3pm at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
