Wasps (6) 9
Pens: Walder 3
Leeds (12) 15
Pens: Thomas
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By James Standley
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Leeds claimed their first league win of the season as the bottom side stunned Wasps in the Guinness Premiership.
Four Ceiron Thomas penalties to two from Dave Walder gave Leeds a 12-6 half-time lead in what was a desperately scrappy affair.
Walder cut the gap to three points with his third penalty, but a fifth Thomas kick secured victory.
The one bright spot for the hosts was the return of England second row Simon Shaw from a long-term foot injury.
Wasps went into the game missing from their pack England stalwarts Phil Vickery and Shaw, who was on the bench and set to return to action for the first time since the Lions tour to South Africa.
The Leeds eight boasted plenty of grizzled men from the southern hemisphere and as befits a side coached by legendary England open-side Neil Back, they competed ferociously at the breakdown.
They also threw everything at high-flying Wasps in the scrum and at the line-out, resulting in richly promising Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson being fed a stream of poor possession, if he received the ball at all.
Leeds prevented Wasps from getting their attacking game going throughout the first half and four penalties from the boot of Thomas, to two from Walder, gave the visitors a 12-6 half-time lead.
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606: DEBATE
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It was poor entertainment for the neutral, not helped by the greasy ball and strong wind, and a couple of bizarre decisions from referee Martin Fox, although he was at least even-handed.
First he failed to spot a Leeds kick had gone dead, much to the bafflement of Walder, who was forced to dot down for a drop-out having retrieved the ball from behind the dead-ball line.
A few minutes later Leeds, not for the last time, had Wasps going backwards at the scrum like they were on rails.
Leeds tight-head prop Juan Gomez then slipped and went to ground and was promptly penalised for taking the scrum down when Leeds had advanced the best part of 10m.
Leeds actually had the best chance of the half but after turning over Wasps possession, Norway second row Erik Lund's skills failed him and his pass to the unmarked Kearnan Myall drifted feebly forward.
The second half was little bit better as a spectacle, not that Leeds will mind.
When you are newly promoted and struggling at the foot of the table, concentrating almost solely on stopping the opposition playing is a legitimate tactic, and they did it to perfection.
With the wind behind them Wasps dominated territorially and they came within a finger tip of scoring a try only two minutes into the second half, but Lemi was ruled to have knocked on as he tried to touch down his own chip ahead.
The hosts were given a huge boost when Lions hero Shaw entered the fray after 47 minutes to a rapturous reception but even the giant second row's appearance could not help Wasps improve their error-strewn performance.
Walder did manage to cut the deficit to three points with a penalty but Thomas, after missing one attempt following Wasps indiscipline, was soon handed the chance to take the lead back out to six points.
The hosts desperately tried to claw their way back into the game but Leeds defended as if their lives depended on it and headed back to Yorkshire with their first win in the Premiership since November 2005.
Wasps director of rugby Tony Hanks:
"We put on pressure, but we were simply not accurate enough.
"Leeds put pressure on us in scrum and line-out, they really flew into us and technical mistakes proved costly.
"That was a special day for Leeds. Take nothing away from them, they really took it to us and deserved to win.
"This has got to be considered a wake-up call. We have a disappointed, frustrated and angry changing room. A bad day at the office needs to be analysed."
Leeds director of rugby Andy Key:
"It was not the prettiest performance, but we gnarled it out and the players are delighted.
"We never stopped believing after a number of close calls this season. We should have won at Saracens last week but had a good try disallowed.
"The most important Premiership game for us, however, is the next one. We are a team who are developing and growing."
Wasps: Van Gisbergen; Sackey, Mitchell, Kefu, Lemi; Walder, Simpson; Bocca, Ward, Broster, Skivington, Birkett, Worsley, Betsen, Leo.
Replacements: Hickey for van Gisbergen (68), Varndell for Kefu (68), Beech for Bocca (68), Shaw for Leo (48).
Not Used: Whitehead, Baker, Ellis, Fury.
Leeds Carnegie: Hinton; Welding, Hepworth, Barrow, Blackett; Thomas, Gomarsall; Hardy, Ma'asi, Gomez, Lund, Wentzel, Myall, Fourie, To'oala.
Replacements: Mathie for Gomarsall (53), McGee for Hardy (68), Nilsen for Ma'asi (53), Swainston for Gomez (53), Clark for Myall (77), Oakley for To'oala (41).
Not Used: H Paul, Fa'afili.
Att: 7,616
Ref: Martin Fox (RFU).
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