IT MAY have been Friday 13, but there was no horror show as Warriors booked their place in the British & Irish Cup final.
It was close – as the scoreline suggests – but it could have been different if less ball was kicked away. Pressure near the final whistle came too late for Leinster ‘A’, who were the reigning cup holders, with Tom Biggs dragging the opposition into touch.
The two highlights on a cold night were Warriors’ tries. The first, a powerful rolling maul from 22 metres, with Matt Gilbert given the score, and Perry Humphreys finishing a mazy run to the line from 45 metres to grab the second.
Worcester have shown what they are capable of in this competition, with real strength in depth. The job gets even more difficult for Dean Ryan as more squad members put their hands up for league game selections.
The only disappointing fact of the evening was the attendance – less than 4,000 spectators occupied the East Stand, which was smallest crowd of the season. How many will travel north for the final?
Surprisingly, it will be Doncaster, rather than Bristol, who await in that fixture. This now avoids the potential of Worcester’s nearest league rivals meeting for five fixtures this season.
Without counting chickens, it still looks like a Worcester-Bristol showdown in the two-legged final.
The league game against them on April 25 will see how far Warriors have come since the opening day defeat.
By Spencer Morris