The two clubs went in to this key contest on the back of two wins apiece but the 13-13 draw means it will all come down to the quick-fire Round 4 return at Adam Parks.

Phil Swainston turned into the most unlikely of Wasps saviours with a 72nd minute try that levelled matters in a contest that was always going to be tight and tense, the only event to trouble the scoreboard in the first 39 minutes a Jacques Louis Potgieter penalty goal.

Then just before the break right wing Marvin O’Connor found a way through the Wasps defence and with outside half Potgieter adding the conversion the home side had opened up a 10-points advantage.

In the process they went through the 100-points mark – including 13 tries – for the campaign with just 200 minutes played.

Saracens introduced Elliott Daly at full back in place of Hugo Southwell for the start of the second half and although outside half Nicky Robinson then missed a penalty goal chance of cutting the deficit he made no mistake with his second effort in the 52nd minute.

Just seven minutes later and the gap was down to two points as electric and elusive wing Christian Wade crossed for his seventh tournament try in just seven appearances.

Potgieter initially steadied home nerves with a second penalty but then Swainston got in on the try scoring act to leave quarter-final qualification from the group on a knife edge.