Henry Arundell, rugby’s latest boy wonder, came off the bench to spark a sensational London Irish comeback and leave Wasps red-faced.
The uncapped teenager, who qualifies for England, Scotland, Wales and Cyprus, was thrown into the fray with Irish down 39-14 inside the last 15 minutes.
In front of watching England boss Eddie Jones the fullback dropped his first ball into touch then proceeded to inspire a stunning four-try finish.
“Pretty good, isn’t he,” said Wasps boss Lee Blackett. “He came on and made big difference. We’re gutted. This feels like a big loss.”
There was little sign of what was to come when Zach Kibirige scored Wasps’ fifth try to leave Irish reeling from conceding 32 unanswered points.
Tom Pearson pulled back a try but it seemed little more than a consolation until Arundell chipped the Wasps defence, won the race to the ball and dotted down.
He had scored two in midweek as the Exiles beat Leicester to reach the Premiership Cup final and before that starred for England Under-20s with four in the Six Nations.
Such form lured Jones to the Brentford Community Stadium with the Australian giving serious thought to taking him on tour Down Under a year out from the World Cup.
With Scotland also circling, Arundell has a choice to make and his stock certainly rose in the dying moments here as he fed a scoring pass to Ollie Hassell-Collins.
That put Irish within a score and when they were awarded a penalty after the buzzer they kicked to the corner and mauled the ball to the line, where Joe Launchbury infringed to give up the match-tying penalty try.
Never in Premiership history had there been such a high-scoring draw and broadcasters BT Sport swooped on Arundell to give him the player of the match.
Irish boss Declan Kidney declined to go overboard about his academy starlet, who he is wisely trying to protect in the early stages of his career.
“There is definitely interest [from England] but Henry is the first to know there are parts of his game he needs to work on,” Kidney said.
“What you don’t want him to do is get one or two caps, isn’t it better if he gets in there as the full package?
“I am sure the powers that be will do the right thing around the lad because he has got talent.
"He has carried himself very well so far and if he continues to do that I have no doubt those type of doors will open.”
IRISH - Tries: Rowe, Parton, Pearson, Arundell, Hassell-Collins, penalty. Cons: Jackson 5.
WASPS - Tries: Oghre, Hougaard 2, Atkinson, Kibirige. Cons: Gopperth 4. Pens: Gopperth 2, Umaga.
