Gloucester were denied victory in a dramatic finish at Kingsholm as Christian Wade’s try and Jimmy Gopperth’s conversion earned Wasps a draw.

Henry Trinder’s try looked set to win a thrilling contest with nine minutes left and Gloucester were even pushing for a bonus point try but they were unable to put the game out of the third-placed visitors’ reach.

After controlling the first half, Gloucester led 18-6 through tries from Charlie Sharples and Richard Hibbard but Wasps threw the kitchen sink at them in the second half to earn a share of the spoils.

Although Gloucester remain unbeaten in the Premiership at home, they lost their 100 per cent record and dropped out of the top four.

Gloucester started brightly and took the lead after a penalty won against the head of the scrum. Billy Twelvetrees slotted it through the uprights to take him past 500 points in the Premiership during his career.

Jason Woodward burst into the 22, where Gloucester won another penalty as they continued on the front foot.

This time Billy Burns kicked to the corner and the pack rumbled over from the maul with recalled Wales hooker Richard Hibbard scoring the try.

Twelvetrees converted and added another penalty with the 13-0 scoreline after 25 minutes reflecting Gloucester’s early dominance.

Wasps grew into the game with two Jimmy Gopperth penalties four minutes apart reducing the deficit but Gloucester finished the half in the ascendancy.

Woodward made another fine break to leave Wasps defenders trailing in his wake before feeding inside for Charlie Sharples to score his first Premiership try of the season on his return from injury.

Gloucester celebrate Charlie Sharples' try.

Twelvetrees missed the conversion but Gloucester led 18-6 at the break.

A key moment phase in the game arrived after the 50-minute mark. Wasps won a series of penalties from five-metre scrums that saw both Gloucester props replaced before Paddy McAllister was sent to the sin bin almost immediately after coming on, while Thomas Young dropped the ball over the line when he looked set to score and Wade also fumbled close to the line.

Gloucester looked to have survived but after the ball was cleared to halfway Wade went on a wonderful run through the middle before offloading to former Gloucester scrum-half Dan Robson on his shoulder for the try.

Gopperth added the extras before Twelvetrees was off target from a penalty that was almost 40 metres out but straight.

Gloucester were back to 15 men when McAllister returned but Wasps continued to put the pressure on and scored the next try with 12 minutes left when they drove over the line from a five-metre lineout, Young scoring the try against his old club.

The usually reliable Gopperth missed a conversion he would have expected to kick and the scores were level at 18-18.

Gloucester came back again and play switched from one side to the other through slick handling with Trinder racing away down the left to score. Twelvetrees added the extras with eight minutes still left.

The Cherry and Whites sensed a bonus point with a five-metre lineout and then a five-metre scrum but Wasps kept them out before winning the penalty to clear their lines with two minutes left.

The visitors went through several phases and got to within five metres out with the clock stopped before moving the ball wide for Wade, who jinked inside to finish well.

They still needed Gopperth’s conversion to level the scores and the conversion wasn’t easy but he held his nerve to secure the draw.

Gloucester: J Woodward; C Sharples, B Twelvetrees, M Atkinson (M Scott 70), H Trinder (D Halaifonua HIA 47-55 (Hohneck 55-65)); B Burns (D Halaifonua 75), C Braley; J Hohneck (P McAllister 53), R Hibbard (M Matu’u 59), J Afoa (F Balmain 53); E Slater (c) (T Savage 61), M Galarza (F Clarke 68); J Polledri, L Ludlow, R Ackermann.

Replacement not used: B Vellacott,

Tries: R Hibbard, C Sharples, H Trinder.

Conversion: B Twelvetrees (2).

Penalty: B Twelvetrees (2).

Sin bin: P McAllister.

Wasps: W Le Roux; C Wade, J De Jongh (B Macken 47), J Gopperth, J Bassett; R Miller, D Robson (J Simpson 59); M Mullan (S McIntyre 47), T Cruse, J Cooper-Wooley (M Moore 59); J Gaskell (c), W Rowlands (K Myall 66); A Johnson (B Harris 59), T Young, G Thompson.

Replacements not used: TJ Harris, O James.

Tries: D Robson, T Young, C Wade.

Conversion: J Gopperth (2).

Penalties: J Gopperth (2).

Referee: K Dickson.

Star man: Jason Woodward.

Att: 12,447.