Rugby Union: Wasps bring lasting pain as Logan runs riot

Wasps 56

Ulster 3

Wasps moved an important step closer to a Heineken Cup quarter-final place with an emphatic annihilation of a gutsy but outplayed Ulster. As if the half-century of points were not enough of a gulf, by the end Wasps showed that in terms of fitness and nous they are light years ahead. They poured on the points in the second half, Scotland wing Kenny Logan scoring three of the home side's eight tries - his hat-trick coming in the space of 11 minutes.

But it took Wasps quite a while before they ironed out the creases. Try as they might to knit together, there were too many dropped stitches in a ragged first half, and Ulster proved adept in the line-out, cussed in the loose and no pushover at the scrums. They kept pace with the Courage League champions for almost half an hour, in which time they lost centre Stan McDowell with an ankle injury.

As the half wore on though, the Wasps centre Rob Henderson began to pose problems, and he ensured that Nick Greenstock's break was turned into his team's second try, by Martyn Wood just before the interval. By then Shane Roiser had scored his try, hacking on and winning the race to touch down when the Ulster defence was caught out.

Wasps' superior fitness and their superb cohesion left Ulster needing to commit more and more men to defending their line, liberating the home side's free-running backs. Roiser got close just after the restart, thankfully his effort was not wasted, hooker Simon Mitchell lunging over from close range.

That, Logan's hat-trick, a try each for Greenstock and Alex King as well as five conversions and a second penalty from Gareth Rees put the tie well out of Ulster's reach.

Wasps: Tries Roiser, Wood, Mitchell, Logan 3, Greenstock, King; Conversions Rees 5; Penalties Rees 2. Ulster: Penalty Laing.

Wasps: G Rees; S Roiser, N Greenstock, R Henderson, K Logan; A King, M Wood (A Gomarsall, 67); D Molloy (A Black, 67), S Mitchell, W Green, D Cronin, A Reed, L Dallaglio, M White, C Sheasby (J Worsley, 53).

Ulster: R Morrow; J Topping, S McDowell (A Park, 12), M Field (S Bell, 75), J Cunningham; S Laing (B Cunningham, 70), A Matchett; G Leslie, S Ritchie (C O'Kane, 12-24), R Irwin, T McWhirter (M Rea 74), G Longwell (M Rea, 12-16), S McKinty, A Ward, K Gallick (R Wilson, 63).

Referee: J Dume (France)