A STRONG first-half showing from Worcester Warriors was enough to ensure they return to Sixways for the second leg of the Championship final as favourites to secure promotion back to the Premiership.

Cornish Pirates staged a second-half fight-back at the Mennaye Field, but could not turn their possession into points as Richard Hill’s men defended stoutly to take a nine-point lead into the home tie.

Sixways will be full to the rafters for next Wednesday’s return leg (7.45pm) and it seems as though Warriors did enough in Penzance to make sure they can complete the job at headquarters.

Warriors took an 18-6 lead into the half-time break after tries from Miles Benjamin and Andy Goode helped them take a stranglehold on the game.

However, Pirates’ fly-half Rob Cook kicked two penalties compared to one from Goode after the break as the hosts finished the match the stronger of the two sides.

In fact, had the Cornishmen been more clinical and converted their dominance into points, Worcester could easily have been facing a deficit ahead of the second leg.

Benjamin muscled his way to the line over the top of former Worcester winger Rhodri McAtee to calm the visitors’ nerves with a seventh-minute opening try after a good spell of ball retention.

While Goode missed the tough touchline conversion, he made amends on the 20-minute mark with a well-struck penalty after Pirates had collapsed a maul.

Minutes later, the home side opened their account as Cook hit the target after Warriors flanker Neil Best had entered a ruck from the side.

Worcester’s second try came when another ex-Sixways player, wing Wes Davies, dallied on the ball and touched it back rather than clearing to touch to give the away side a five-metre scrum.

The dominant Warriors pack must have had referee Martin Fox contemplating awarding a penalty try after forcing a brace of front row infringements. The ball shot out of the scrum at the next engagement only for man-of-the-match Jonny Arr to find Goode, who waltzed through two tackles to touch down under the posts.

The former England ace completed the formalities with the conversion and the 600-strong travelling contingent of Warriors fans were already dreaming of a return to the Premiership.

As the half drew to a close, Cook and Goode exchanged penalties to take the score to 18-6, but Pirates’ second-half showing will have convinced everyone connected with Warriors that the second leg is not merely a formality.

With excellent fly-half Jonny Bentley pulling the strings and Harlequins-bound centre Matt Hopper running dangerously throughout, Pirates dominated the second period as Worcester failed to replicate their opening 40 minutes.

The hosts will rue the fact that, despite the number of chances they created and Warriors spending 10 minutes down to 14 men as Neil Best was sin-binned, they had just six further points from Cook’s boot to show for their endeavours.

In injury-time, Cook, who is the division’s leading points-scorer, missed a penalty from in front of the posts, which could quite possibly have a huge bearing on the outcome of the tie.