WORCESTER Warriors’ defensive frailties were cruelly exposed by a rampant Wasps on a frenetic afternoon which saw 14 tries and six for visiting winger Christian Wade on his 100th club appearance.

Most onlookers in the 10,272 crowd, Worcester’s biggest home gate this term, would have enjoyed the feast but the hosts’ carefree display suggested some players had one eye on the summer break.

Warriors are desperate to put down a marker in their Aviva Premiership run-in and claim a big scalp against one of the top sides in Europe.

However, trying to take on Wasps in a free-flowing and open game played right into the hands of the Coventry club, who won 54-35.

Warriors have shipped 50 points in successive matches against Exeter and Wasps and there is still much work to do heading into next season.

With a noticeable lack of go-forward from the pack, with hooker Jaba Bregvadze enduring a poor afternoon, there could be changes for Worcester’s trip to Leicester Tigers on April 30.

The two Warriors who can be applauded for their efforts were replacements Andy Symons and Tevita Cavubati.

The powerful Symons was strong and direct, crashing over to score at the beginning of the second half and then making an audacious offload to set up a try for Bryce Heem.

And Cavubati, who returned to the fray after a ban, made several powerful carries into the heart of Wasps’ defence before leaving the field with a bang on the head.

The experiment to play Heem in the centre backfired for Worcester because the Kiwi looked like a fish out of water.

The blink-and-you-miss-it affair had finished as a contest before the interval with Wasps soaring into a 33-15 lead thanks to a four-try burst from England hopeful Wade.

A long-range penalty from Ryan Mills fired Warriors ahead but they soon paid for their lack of accuracy when Bregvadze overthrew a defensive line-out and Frank Halai eventually profited to score a converted try in the corner.

Wade grabbed his first try after Rob Miller evaded Mills’ tackle but Worcester hit back through a Francois Hougaard touchdown after Val Rapava Ruskin charged down Miller’s kick.

Wade grabbed his second try after a kicking error from Tom Heathcote and he then completed his hat-trick with an outstanding score, chipping the ball ahead before collecting to dive over.

Warriors hit back with a well-worked try for Cooper Vuna before Wade pounced again, running on to a clever chip from Elliot Daly to touch down.

Replacement Symons crashed over for a Worcester try in the early stages of the second period but any hopes of a comeback were soon dashed.

Wade intercepted Mills’ pass to race away for his fifth try and the wing soon notched his sixth.

Charles Piutau intercepted Hougaard’s pass before unselfishly finding Wade, whose double hat-trick matched the Premiership record of Ryan Constable’s six tries for Saracens against Bedford on the same date in 2000.

Skipper Gerrit-Jan Van Velze dived over to secure Warriors’ bonus-point try and the hosts added another two touchdowns through Carl Kirwan and Heem.

Wasps, meanwhile, had taken their tally to eight with a try from replacement Alex Lozowski and the win booked the visitors’ place in the end-of-season play-offs.