Worcester Warriors 49 Rotherham Titans 10
Greene King IPA Championship
Geoff Berkeley reports from Sixways
THE DAYS when Dean Ryan struggled to find a reliable kicker in his side or a fly half capable of running the show for Worcester Warriors still appears to prey on his mind.
However, if Andy Symons keeps kicking like he did last Saturday and Ryan Mills continues to shine in the number ten jersey those memories of last season will surely fizzle out.
The duo were instrumental in Worcester’s mauling of Titans at Sixways, with centre Symons landing all seven of his conversion attempts and Mills setting up numerous tries before going over himself in the second half.
And Ryan, who saw his side clinch the bonus point before half time for the second week running, was quick to praise the talented pair.
“Ryan is a class act,” he said. “We have spent a lot of time getting him fit and making sure he is in the right place because we really value him.
“Andy looks confident at kicking and if he continues to do that then that becomes the primary reason why he stays in the team.
“Those with short memories may have forgotten that we were struggling to get the ball between the posts last year, but now we can’t seem to miss.
“It’s great to have healthy competition because Millsy says he can kick as well, so that’s good news for us.”
It was Rotherham who landed the first kick between the posts though as a James McKinney penalty gave his side the lead.
But, like against Nottingham last week, Warriors responded well after going behind as Mills sent Max Stelling through to score. Symons added the extras.
McKinney’s next attempt from the tee cannoned off the upright as Titans scrummaged well in the early stages, which led to the penalty being awarded.
However, when Warriors did get hold of the ball they used it to great effect as Rotherham struggled to contain their pacey back-line.
Dean Hammond got Worcester’s second try after receiving Mills’ pass before the hosts scored a superb breakaway try two minutes later.
Stelling picked the ball up from well inside his own half before releasing Tom Biggs who went sprinting down the left. He then found Ben Howard who eased through to leave a simple conversion for Symons to knock over.
Rotherham appeared rattled as a wayward lineout landed in Warriors’ hands before Biggs finished off another scintillating move. Symons made no mistake with the conversion to give Worcester a 28-3 advantage at half time.
With the bonus point in the bag, Warriors could have afforded to take their foot off the gas in the second period.
But instead they picked up from where they left off as Mills slipped through a gap before offloading to skipper GJ Van Velze who crashed over.
A penalty try was then followed by a well-deserved try from Mills, which Symons coolly converted from the touchline, to put Worcester on course for a bumber 21st straight victory of the season, which did break the previous record put together more than a decade ago.
But apart from Biggs’ try being ruled out for obstruction, Warriors rarely threatened in the closing stages, while Rotherham came back fighting.
Jack Preece got his side’s first try on the board as Titans finished in the ascendancy, which left Ryan frustrated despite seeing his side dominate long periods of the match, which raised funds for Acorns Children’s Hospice.
“I am not prepared to sit here and enjoy this win as it is about getting stronger,” Ryan added.
“We have had three of four weeks of building really good momentum and the fact we are still frustrated shows that we have got more to do.”