WORCESTER Warriors’ second-half “drop-off” was identified before the game by Leicester Tigers’ director of rugby Richard Cockerill.

Warriors suffered a 29-20 defeat against third-placed Tigers after leading 17-7 at half-time in the Aviva Premiership clash at Sixways.

Cockerill said: “Look at all their games. They (Worcester) are very strong from 20 to 40 minutes, but our second-half stats say they drop off in games for whatever reason.

“We are really poor from 20 to 40 and we were delighted with the win. Four points was the objective because winning at Worcester is tough. They will beat sides at home as they already have done against Northampton.”

Warriors, with a strong wind at their backs, stormed into a 17-0 lead after 21 minutes but their victory chances fell apart in the second half as they struggled to cope with Tigers’ driving maul.

Lock Donncha O’Callaghan was sent off after a second yellow card and rookie prop Gareth Milasinovich was sin-binned at his first scrum.

Matt Cox was also sin-binned as Tigers’ pressure told, and the visitors grabbed a last-gasp converted try.

Despite a brave rearguard effort, Warriors failed to hang on for a losing bonus point with just 13 men.

Cockerill said: “Worcester played really well. If they play like that, I have no doubts they will not have any issues staying in this competition.

“Both wingers (Bryce Heem and Cooper Vuna) are really dangerous, came off the wings and looked to expose our tight forwards around the fringes and did it really well. We were a bit inaccurate and they took their chances in the first half.”

Warriors are 10th in the table with Tigers winning their last 12 matches over them in all competitions.

Worcester take a break from league action and are gearing up for Thursday’s European Challenge Cup pool match against rivals Gloucester at Sixways (7.45pm).

Warriors won their group opener 19-3 against La Rochelle but were humbled 27-8 at Italian side Zebre. Another defeat would severely dent Warriors’ chances of advancing beyond the group stages.

Director of rugby Dean Ryan says the Sixways side will make wholesale changes, which could see centre Andy Symons return after seven months out with injury.

“We will challenge the group to come in, reinvigorate the squad and see how we go,” said Ryan.

“We are playing decent stuff and fronting up but we just need to get our heads around things when the game shrinks and it becomes about the driving maul.”

n Rumours of Warriors’ interest in England international centre Manu Tuilagi, 24, have finally been killed off after he signed a new contract with Leicester Tigers.