The opening quarter saw Wasps dominate territory and possession, spending long periods camped inside the Ironsides half. Despite creating opportunities, a combination of determined defence from the hosts and a lack of clinical finishing prevented the visitors from turning pressure into points.

The frustration only grew when an Ironsides counter-attack resulted in a penalty deep inside the Wasps 22, which was successfully converted to give the home side a 3-0 lead.

Wasps responded immediately. From the restart, possession was regained and a series of powerful carries from the forwards created space out wide. The backs capitalised, with Cerys James-Sitters crashing through the defensive line to score the visitors' opening try.

Ten minutes later, Laura Wilcock extended the advantage. Better known for her distribution and game management, the fly-half spotted a gap in midfield and burst through from 15 metres out to cross the whitewash. Her influence was not limited to attack, however, as she repeatedly halted Ironsides runners with a series of thunderous tackles throughout the match.

Despite momentum shifting firmly in Wasps' favour, Ironsides refused to go away and continued to defend resolutely. Their persistence was rewarded shortly before the break when they crossed for a converted try, ensuring the sides went into half-time level.

Half-Time: Battersea Ironsides 10-10 Wasps

With the scores tied, Wasps knew patience would be key. The visitors maintained their intensity and were first to strike after the restart when Wilcock calmly slotted a penalty to edge her side back in front.

As the second half progressed, Ironsides' discipline began to falter, with the home side finding themselves reduced in numbers on multiple occasions. Wasps were quick to recognise the opportunity and turned sustained pressure into points.

Captain Lydia Hume was next to score, powering through several defenders after spotting a mismatch close to the line. Shortly afterwards, Noemie Chevrier was rewarded for a relentless spell of attacking pressure, touching down after multiple phases inside the Ironsides 22. Wilcock added the conversion to stretch the lead further.

The try of the afternoon followed soon after. A series of forceful carries from the Wasps pack drew defenders into the breakdown, creating space on the edge. The backs executed expertly, holding their lines to release Naomi Palmer on the wing, and the in-form flyer still had all of 40 metres to cover before scoring. Duly converted by Wilcock, the lead was now 22 points.

Whilst the forwards and backs combined brilliantly in attack, Alice Szlachetko produced an outstanding display at full-back. In difficult conditions she was flawless under the high ball despite Ironsides regularly looking to exit through their kicking game, repeatedly diffusing pressure with confidence. Her assured handling was matched by several crucial last-ditch tackles that prevented the hosts from capitalising on rare attacking opportunities.

The closing stages also brought welcome sights for Wasps, as Olivia Brown and Ulyssia Bayley both returned from injury. Logan Randle and Jaymie Benka-Davies also made their seventh appearances of the campaign from the bench as Wasps saw out a deserved victory built on patience, physicality and an excellent second-half performance.

Full-Time: Battersea Ironsides 10-32 Wasps

Player of the Match - Laura Wilcock
Forward of the Match - Jas Willson
Back of the Match - Alice Szlachetko

Try Scorers:
Naomi Palmer x1
Lydia Hume x1
Noemie Chevrier x1
Cerys James-Sitters x1
Laura Wilcock x1

Penalties:
Laura Wilcock x1

Conversions:
Laura Wilcock x2