Rugby Union: Zurich Premiership: Wasps 17 - 48 Leicester

Leicester interrupted Wasps' procession to glory in the most emphatic way, condemning them to a semi-final play-off against Saints here next Sunday.

Wasps have only themselves to blame after turning in a lack-lustre performance. It has been a long season, with Toulouse to come. 'We've got a couple of tough weeks ahead of us,' admitted the coach Warren Gatland.

Leicester, meanwhile, are rewarded with a wild-card finale and, as their captain, Martin Johnson, pointed out: 'It wasn't do or die for them today, it was for us. I think that was the difference.'

Wasps made the early running. King and Abbott split Leicester up the middle in the first minute and, under pressure, the Tigers transgressed at the ruck. King's boot proved as trusty as his earlier sidestep.

Playing in front of their third sell-out home crowd in succession, Wasps looked confident, although they were had to turn sharply when Ellisbroke broke free for a gain of 30 yards. Van Gisbergen coped well with a Garryowen, but Goode equalised in the ninth minute.

Corry was sent to the sin-bin in the 18th minute when he killed a ruck on his own line, and Leicester paid doubly within a minute when King converted a penalty after the Tigers had been caught offside in a ruck.

When dominating territory and possession, Wasps were keen to run the ball and were rewarded for their adventure in the 27th minute when Abbott crossed for a try after a break from open play by Voyce. King made a mess of the conversion but an 11-3 lead 12 minutes from the break was a decent platform. Or so they thought.

Appalling handling by Volley allowed late replacement Smith to pick up the scraps and score between the posts. Goode, whose kicking from hand was too long on a short ground, still had his radar working aiming at the posts.

King kicked another penalty within two minutes but the leaders had lost their shape as Leicester hit back. Dallaglio and Martin Johnson were called out after the Wasps captain pushed his old England skipper's brother, Will, in the back. It might have been a sign of nerves.

Austin Healey punished Wasps for a missed tackle with a try that was converted in unusual circumstances. The ball toppled from its spot as Goode lined it up, but he calmly drop-kicked the conversion as Wasps failed to charge the ball down.

Just before the break, Goode landed a 50-metre penalty that gave the Tigers considerable heart and a 20-14 lead turning around.

King's penalty from 40 metres after the break eased Wasps' nerves but they were short still of the energy of their heroic Munster performance. They looked even worse two minutes later when Healey scored again, cutting through a yawning gap created by Van der Westhuyzen. Goode converted.

Leicester, who'd spun it wide in demolishing Rotherham last weekend, kept it tight yesterday and were rewarded for their physicality with Goode's simple try (and conversion) after a driving maul had soaked up Wasps' resistance. At 34-17 up, the visitors were in the ascendancy and Wasps' hopes of a clear passage to the final were fading fast. Wasps introduced McKenzie, Hart, Skivington, Biljon and Eringle in an effort to breath life into the attack. Back went off for Leicester, replaced by Balding.

Goode's second try must have hurt Wasps even more than his first, a 60-metre run, topped off with a dive in front of the home fans. His conversion made it 41-17 with a quarter of an hour left, not a scoreline many had predicted.

In a shambolic finish, Ellis dived on a ball over the Wasps line after a 60-metre kick and chase that came from another Wasps breakdown in the three-quarter line. Goode's conversion made it 48-17, a proper trouncing.

At the end, Wasps struggled to even keep their scrummage together.

Wasps : Van Gisbergen; Lewsey (Erinle 60), Waters, Abbott, Voyce (Logan (52); King, Howley (Biljon 60); Payne, Leota (Gotting 54), Green (Mackenzie 60), Purdey, Birkett (Hart (60), Dallaglio (c) (Skivington 60), Volley, Lock.

Leicester Tigers: Goode; Murphy, Lloyd (Gelderbloom 68), Smith, Healey (F. Tuilagi 77); Van der Westhuyzen, Ellis; Morris, Chuter (West 75), White, M Johnson (c), Deacon, Corry, Back (Balding 63), W Johnson (H. Tuilagi).

Referee: Ashley Rowden (RFU).