Worcester 45 Manchester 11

WORCESTER embraced a new hero on Saturday as Chris Garrard announced himself on the Sixways stage.

The 23-year-old Australian tore Manchester apart with a display of such pace and guile that it even silenced the visitors' outspoken director of rugby Alex Keay - for the first half at least.

The winger claimed four tries as Worcester opened their National One account with a 45-11 win, five points and already the number one spot in the division.

Such was the chasm in class that Manchester were forced into a spoiling game from 24 minutes onwards after Worcester had raced into a 31-0 lead following Garrard's treble and a try from fellow winger Winston Stanley.

Manchester - through any means necessary - managed to keep Worcester out for most of the remainder until a Kingsley Jones score and Garrard's fourth late on put the smiles back on supporters' faces.

There was some irony that Manchester's chief tormentor was Adrian Skeggs' final Worcester signing before his summer exit. There was the other matter of the Gold'n'Blues' distinct similarity to last season's Jekyll and Hyde outfit, brilliant one minute, frustrating the next. However, this was a new era in more ways than one and to judge this fledgling side on one 80 minute match would be grossly unfair. The overwhelming feeling from the match was undoubtedly a positive one despite some outrageous off the ball incidents which soured proceedings.

Duncan Roke, Worcester's new centre from Henley, was knocked unconscious midway through the second half by a grotesquely high challenge, a 'tackle' which did Manchester very little credit. Roke was stretchered into an ambulance and will now be out of action for three weeks because of the mandatory ruling over concussion. Before this there had been a 10-man brawl, punches galore and even Mr Cool himself - Sateki Tuipulotu - saw the red mist after a dangerous tackle while he was airborne. It is, of course, understandable that a side would resort to such tactics if there was such a gulf in class but it does the game and indeed the club no credit whatsoever to employ such methods. It was also a harsh reminder, if Worcester needed it, that it will be a physically tough season ahead whatever happens.

Keay, for his part, was his usual entertaining self. After branding Worcester as rugby's biggest underachievers last season, he began interacting with the crowd during the second half, unashamedly self-contented, telling the supporters to quieten down. "They didn't go up did they?", he said, referring to Worcester's promotion failure earlier this year. He then relinquished his responsibility for his players during the second half punch-ups to add to the crowd's anger. After a doughty Worcester fan, quite reasonably, remarked: "They don't do you any credit Alex," Keay countered with - "What can I do about it?" A slap on the back for the sin-binned Michael Armstrong following a second half punch seemed to contradict that assertion somewhat.

For all Manchester's mishaps, the game should be remembered for some brilliant attacking play rather than the cynical edge it developed later on. Worcester got off to the best possible start inside four minutes following a fluent backs move involving Chris Yates, Ben Hinshelwood and finally Garrard who flew in on the right hand side to begin a memorable debut. Tuipulotu converted and Worcester were on their way.

Garrard's second owed more to raw talent than anything else as he blew away Manchester with ferocious acceleration and movement following good scrummaging by a newly formed pack. Again it was converted and four minutes later, Worcester supporters were on their feet again as Canada's try scoring hero Stanley began his Sixways career with a touch down. If it was finished by a Canadian, the score's architect was quite clearly from Wales. Richard Smith - a scrum half snapped up from Ebbw Vale in the summer - embarked on a mesmerising 40-metre run before off-loading to Yates who put in Stanley.

It was classic backs play, and one which had assistant coach Steve Townend on his feet before an over-zealous steward asked him and John Brain to sit down while in the stands! After another successful conversion, fly-half Tony Yapp set up Garrard for his hat-trick on 18 minutes and, following the extra points from Tuipulotu and then a penalty soon after, the crowd sat back as Worcester led 31-0 in the 24th minute. The expected massacre never came though and it was Manchester who broke their duck with a Lynden Griffiths penalty and a Phil Graham try before half-time. The second half was a dreadful advert for the game, only enlightened by an Andy Khan penalty for the visitors before late tries for Sixways' skipper Jones and another for the new golden boy of Worcester.

After a summer of intoxicating Gold and Green dominance in England, the rest of National One can prepare for yet more Aussie rule.

Worcester: Tuipulotu 7; GARRARD 9, Hinshelwood 7 (Roke *62 (Pellow 7 *65)), Yates 8, Stanley 7, Yapp 7 (Chalmers 7 *50), Smith 8; Windo 7, Hall 7 (Ross 7 *62), Lyman 7 (Davies 7 *62), Morgan 7, Zaltzman 8 (Sims *76), Clarke 7, Jones 8, Jenner 7 (Carter 7 *50).

Man of the match:

CHRIS GARRARD - stunning debut.