Saturday, September 29, 2001

THERE is something rather puzzling about a game in which a side can completely overwhelm their hosts, come away with a 21-3 victory and yet greet the win with utter despair.

That was the feeling in the Worcester camp following their National One 'triumph' at London Welsh on Saturday.

John Brain's team failed to score four tries and take the bonus point from the match but a four point haul was not a bad effort in a game spoiled by driving rain and, once again, an over zealous referee.

There were, of course, areas to pick holes in but from kick-off to the final whistle, Worcester were never in danger of losing the match. People will argue that they should be head and shoulders above the opposition considering the professional nature of the club and of course that is true. However, it is only right to note that this team have now been together for just over three months and they sit as league leaders with a victory over Rotherham under their belts.

Andy Lee actually put the home side 3-0 up after two minutes on Saturday but that was the closest they got to an upset. After a Ben Clarke surge, Ben Hinshelwood powered through the Welsh defence to run under the posts and give Sateki Tuipulotu a simple conversion on six minutes. And as the rain hammered down, Kingsley Jones looked odds-on to add to the score, a minute later, until he was caught 22 metres out by the home defence. Hinshelwood then turned saviour as he caught up Tom Lewsey when the scrum half looked bound for the line in what had been an entertaining start to the game.

On 15 minutes, Lee missed a penalty in what was to prove a desperate day for the former Saracens man. Welsh's tough tackling was, however, proving a difficult obstacle for Worcester to overcome. Too many times, they looked to force the play with passes going astray while in the set piece, the visitors were penalised almost every time they got themselves into a good position.

Brain re-organised at half time with the disappointing Tuipulotu replaced by Duncan Roke and Hinshelwood reverting to full back. Neil Lyman came on for Alejandro Moreno but it was the Welsh who made the better start to the second period, only to see Lee slot two penalties wide - the second from just 20 metres out. The home side also had the knack of kicking the ball straight out of play which helped Worcester maintain territory midway through the second half. And after a line-out win, a drive led to Martin Morgan's 56th minute try to boost hopes of that bonus point. Tony Yapp converted and Worcester led 14-3. Yapp looked to be on course for the third try of the day nine minutes later when, after intercepting the ball, he ran 40 metres towards the goal-line before he was hunted down by the superior pace of Adam Bidwell.

After Clarke had been clocked by yet another punch and finally replaced by Christian Evans, Roke took centre stage bursting through the middle for the third converted score with nine minutes left. Any hopes of that fourth try though, virtually disappeared when Neil Lyman was sin-binned a minute later for stamping, an incident which provoked a 10-man brawl. With four minutes of injury time played, Worcester had some final opportunities to move the ball wide but passes at vital times went to ground and in then end, they just fell short.

Worcester: Tuipulotu 5, Garrard 6, NHINSHELWOOD 7, Yates 6, Stanley 6, Yapp 6, Smith 6, Windo 6, Ross 6, Moreno 5, Zaltzman 6, Morgan 6, Clarke 6, Jones 6, Jenner 6.

Replacements: Pellow, Evans 6 (Clarke 70), Roke 7 (Tuipulotu 40), Davis (Windo 77), Carter, Sims (Zaltzman 77), Lyman 6 (Moreno 40).

Man of the match:

BEN HINSHELWOOD - solid display in attack and defence and reverted to full back without trouble in the second half.