WASPS are hunting down a place in the Guinness Premiership playoffs with steely determination as this win, their sixth in a row and highest of the season, more than emphasises. They are running hard and whichever section of the team you look at, from the captivating play of Danny Cipriani to the cold-eyed realism of hooker Joe Ward, Wasps are a mean machine.

They are back at sixth in the table with the immediate challenge of Sale to be faced at home on Tuesday night, followed by Saracens away next Sunday. The only concern now is the fitness of their fly-half Dave Walder, who was snapped up last season when Newcastle did not renew his contract.

Yesterday Walder, 29, came on for his 28th match after 58 minutes when centre Dominic Waldouck went off to have some stitches in a cut in his head. Walder had hardly caught the pace of the match when he was injured and the medical team were with him for 17 minutes before taking him off on a stretcher. Walder subsequently went to hospital for a scan on his left leg.

Wasps may be fortunate that Walder is their only concern as the demands unfold over the next few days, but coach Ian McGeechan stressed: “It looked pretty serious.”

Strength in depth is important to Wasps, and Walder, with five England caps, is a powerful back-up in midfield, especially when he covers the mercurial Cipriani.

“It was refreshing for us to put out a full side for the first time in a long, long time,” said Wasps captain Lawrence Dallaglio. “It was an important win for us and it has given us momentum.”

In the second half, which Wasps began 21-7 ahead, Dallaglio was sin-binned after 57 minutes, Wasps kept raising the pace and the target, and there was an incredible range of optimism from what they were doing. They were helped by the fact they have a powerful bench and bringing on two England props, Phil Vickery and Tim Payne, after 63 minutes was a classic statement of their strength in depth.

Wasps even took Cipriani off with eight minutes to play with the score at 49-7 and played with 14 men — “When you know that the next game is in three days, you have to manage the team,” said McGeechan.

Cipriani was in sumptuous form, able to play on a knife-edge as Wasps advanced to their handsome score, so much of it due to his creativity and his impeccable goalkicking.

He scored a try after half an hour, benefiting from an inside pass by Waldouck, and was at the heart of other profitable moves. On one occasion he kicked an 80m touch-finder. In this mood, it was a guessing game to work out what he might do next. No wonder Worcester had problems with him.

Wasps’ six wins in a row equals what only Bath have done this season but there were other bonuses, including the return of Tom Voyce on the wing for the first time since December and the return, too, of Joe Worsley in the back row. Voyce stayed the course, scored a try, and should have been pleased with his day.

Worcester could have been forgiven for being caught off balance but they were never swamped. They were short of key performers and received little reward for their efforts at the start, when Shane Drahm and the forwards seemed capable of gaining a foothold.

The sin-binning of flanker Matt Cox after 20 minutes did not help Worcester’s cause. He came back to score a try, however, when Worcester drove a lineout and he clearly demonstrated the promise that has earned him honours with England Under-20s.

Worcester managed a try at the end as well from hooker Matt Mullan, the sort of effort which his opposite number Ward would have saluted, while a first Premiership start for scrum-half Jonny Arr was another plus. Director of Rugby Mike Ruddock said: “We are not totally downbeat, even though the loss hurts. I think our younger players learnt a lot tactically and from the professionalism and quality of the Wasps display.”

For Wasps, thoughts turn to the challenge of Sale, to whom they lost 16-0 in October, and Saracens, who beat them in the first Premiership match of the season at Twickenham.

In the sunlit conditions yesterday Wasps looked very tidy indeed and McGeechan and head coach Shaun Edwards are going to have a fascinating time over the next few days sorting out the demands of the challenges, and mixing and matching their squad so that they are all at a reasonable peak for what lies ahead.

Dallaglio is the player who must drive the final effort to nail down the season in the way to which Wasps aspire. He has been a Wasp since he started and now his final days are beckoning as he goes into retirement at the end of this season.

As he looked at the squad last night, Dallaglio said: “When we have all come back and we are all lined up, it’s impressive. Our squad is coming to the boil at just the right time and it was a professional job.”

Star man: Joe Ward (Wasps)

Wasps: J Lewsey; P Sackey, D Waldouck, R Flutey (M van Gisbergen 43min), T Voyce; D Cipriani, M McMillan (E Reddan 40min); T French (T Payne 63min), J Ward, P Barnard (P Vickery 63min), T Palmer (S Shaw 55min), G Skivington, D Leo, L Dallaglio (capt), J Worsley (R Webber 54min).

Worcester: C Pennell; M Benjamin, R Gear, M Tucker (D Feaunati 59min), M Garvey; S Drahm (J Carlisle 52min), J Arr (N Runciman 67min); T Windo (capt) (C Forte 56min), M Mullan, T Taumoepeau, W Bowley, C Gillies, T Wood, D Hickey. Scorers: Wasps: Tries:Flutey, Barnard, Cipriani, Van Gisbergen (2), Shaw, Voyce

Cons: Cipriani (7) Worcester: Tries: Cox, Mullan Con:Drahm

Yellow cards: Wasps: Dallaglio (57min) Worcester:Cox (20min)

Referee:S Davey (RFU)

Attendance:8,138