ACCORDING to Joe Worsley, defeats by Edinburgh and Llanelli Scarlets in the Heineken Cup, which have made progress in that competition only a remote possibility, leaves London Wasps smarting still. But as a result, their determination to prove their worth and win silverware on other fronts is increased, and against London Irish in the Guinness Premiership on Saturday, they had ample firepower to overcome the team one place below them in the table.

Winning with such ease when apparently not at the peak of their performance is a characteristic of champions. Despite pilfering opposition lineout ball, London Irish made little headway in attack in the face of Wasps’ swarming, rush defence, and too often resorted to ineffectual kicking. A try for Bob Casey suggests that their offensive game was not totally stifled, but by this time, Wasps had touched down three times themselves.

First Josh Lewsey, cutting the angle at pace off Tom Voyce, scored under the posts, and four minutes later Worsley, in his first league appearance since October, broke through the middle of a rolling maul and crossed unchallenged. Lewsey should have scored again at the start of the second half, but fortunately the move continued and Raphael Ibañez profited. They did not manage to secure the bonus point until added time at the end of the game, when George Skivington crossed, but it leaves them four points clear at the top of the table before Sale Sharks’ match today.

Brian Smith, the London Irish director of rugby, was right not to be too downcast, particularly as Ross Laidlaw, the young fly half making his Premiership debut, acquitted himself very well, landing five out of six attempts at goal.

“We want to be a top-four team, which is quite an ambitious thing for our club, and we know we’ll only get there with hard work. We are close and we can probably squeeze in the top four but the top three teams are pretty clear cut. Sale and Leicester are very good teams; set-piece-wise, you’d think that they might have an edge (over Wasps).”

However, London Irish will have to do without Mike Catt for some weeks. He needed treatment in hospital for bleeding from a muscle by his eye, having been caught by a boot when Casey scored. It is not clear when he will be able to play again.

SCORERS: London Irish: Try: Casey (54min). Conversion: Laidlaw. Penalty goals: Laidlaw 4 (14, 21, 34, 66). London Wasps: Tries: Lewsey (27), Worsley (31), Ibañez (47), Skivington (80+1). Conversions: Van Gisbergen 3. Penalty goals: Van Gisbergen 3 (10, 17, 63).

SCORING SEQUENCE (London Irish first): 0-3, 3-3, 3-6, 6-6, 6-13, 6-20, 9-20 (half-time), 9-27, 16-27, 16-30, 19-30, 19-35.

LONDON IRISH: M Horak; D Armitage, P Franze, M Catt (rep: J M Leguizamon, 56), D Feau’nati (rep: P Hodgson, 40+3); R Laidlaw, D Edwards (rep: B Everitt, 72); M Collins (rep: N Hatley, 45), A Flavin (rep: D Coetzee, 41), F Rautenbach (rep: D Wheatley, 74), R Strudwick (rep: R Casey, 49), N Kennedy, R Thorpe, K Dawson, P Murphy.

LONDON WASPS: M van Gisbergen; P Sackey (rep: R Hoadley, 74), J Lewsey, S Abbott (rep: A Erinle, 41), T Voyce; J Staunton, E Reddan (rep: M Dawson, 70); T Payne, R Ibañez (rep: J Barrett, 53), J Va’a (rep: A McKenzie, 48), J Hart (rep: M Purdy, 66), G Skivington, J Worsley (rep: T Rees, 80+2), J O’Connor, L Dallaglio (sin-bin: 56-67).

Referee: A Spreadbury.

Attendance: 18,122.