Saturday, December 1, 2001

IF Worcester are to achieve promotion to the elite, it is looking increasingly likely they will have to do it the hard way.

They overcame Rugby Lions 30-5 at Sixways on Saturday but rarely showed signs of their potential as they missed out on the all-important bonus point.

It was the sixth time in 11 National One games they had done so this season and as title rivals Rotherham racked up 55 points against Manchester, Worcester now lead the table by just three having played a game more.

With with a trip to Exeter looming, they will need a vast improvement to get anything from the County Ground.

In a game devoid of atmosphere and featuring referee Tim Miller, it was always going to be a slow affair in the final home clash before Christmas. However, the visitors must have thought it had come early in the first half as Worcester, rather than keeping possession, either threw it to Rugby from the lineout, kicked it back or knocked on. Tony Yapp had slotted two penalties within the first eight minutes to make it 6-0 but that was as good as it got in the first half for a crowd, again, disappointing in number.

Duncan Roke and Ben Hinshelwood were again the main threats in the backs although Dave Sims, in for a rare league start, impressed despite feeling ill throughout the first period. After promising to clean up their act with indiscipline after the Rotherham cup defeat, however, Worcester once again gave away too many penalties in a dismal first 40 and were frequently punished for back-chat.

They began the second half, though, with renewed vigour and after Yapp had made it 9-0, Chris Yates bludgeoned his way through the Rugby midfield before off-loading to the grateful Winston Stanley who finished off the move. It was just reward for Yates' persistence after sections of the crowd had began to get on his back for simply doing his job and sucking in the Rugby defence time after time. The former Gloucester centre worked tirelessly all afternoon and Stanley's touchdown was proof that his role can, indeed, be a telling one. Yapp's conversion put Worcester 16-0 ahead as they began to squeeze on the accelerator.

The momentum, however, which had been sparked by the try was soon dulled in a scrappy period which saw another home lineout lost. A rash of substitutions brought Craig Chalmers into the fray and the Scot's influence was immediate. Four minutes after stripping off, the fly half put in Roke under the posts and then bagged the conversion to make it 23-0. Rugby's Phil Reed then scored the try of the match when he embarked on a mazy run before chipping on and touching down to give the visitors some consolation.

The home crowd were at last on their feet with three minutes left as Christian Evans broke away before setting up hooker Joe Ross for the third converted try. The score lifted the crowd into voice for the first time in the match and they were almost rewarded with that fourth try. However, after Roke's initial surge, Yates knocked on when well placed and the chance had been lost.

It was too little too late for Worcester and against a poor Rugby side, this game should have brought a maximum points haul. That it did not said more about Worcester's present frailties than their counterparts.

Saturday's trip to Exeter will undoubtedly put those frailties under substantially more scrutiny than the lack-lustre Lions.

Worcester: Hinshelwood 7, Garrard 6, NROKE 8, Yates 7, Stanley 7, Yapp 7, Moncrief 6; Windo 7, Hall 6, Moreno 7, Sims 7, Zaltzman 6, Clarke 6, Jones 7, Jenner 7.

Replacements: Pellow (Moncrief 75), Chalmers 7 (Yapp 51), Carter 6 (Jones 60), Evans 6 (Clarke 70), Ross 7 (Hall 51), Morgan 6 (Sims 40), Collins 6 (Windo 65)

Man of the match: DUNCAN ROKE - another lively display from the centre in a match where few stood out.