Worcester Warriors 62 Cornish Pirates 26
Greene King IPA Championship
Geoff Berkeley reports from Sixways
WORCESTER Warriors sent out a statement of intent to promotion rivals Bristol with an impressive – and at times brutal – ten-try crushing of Cornish Pirates.
While the league’s current front-runners were struggling to see off a stubborn Jersey side on Saturday, second placed Warriors were tearing Pirates apart.
Three tries in a devastating opening ten minutes set the tone as Warriors went on to chalk up four more and end a one-sided first half 43-7 in front.
Pirates fought back valiantly after the break and managed to come away with a losing bonus point. But Worcester also came up with the goods in the second half as they ran in three further tries to complete a emphatic victory, which leaves them two points behind leaders Bristol.
Director of rugby Dean Ryan said he was delighted with his side’s efforts, especially his back-line as wing Tom Biggs bagged a hat-trick, while Andy Symons, Max Stelling, Chris Pennell and Ben Howard also got on the score-sheet.
“In recent contests we have been sucked into playing a slower game, but fortunately it was dry enough to play through our backline,” Ryan said.
“The likes of Biggsy have been frustrated on those wet and windy days when it is about chasing kicks and putting up high balls as he knows we have got a lot to offer.
“This was the time for the backs and I thought they showed a lot of enterprise and they were very clinical in that first 40 minutes.”
Cornish Pirates simply had no response to Warriors’ pace and power in the opening stages as they wrapped up the bonus point by the 20th minute mark.
Symons opened the floodgates with a try inside the opening three minutes before tries from Stelling and Pennell soon followed to put Worcester 24-0 in front.
Ryan Lamb and Howard were particularly wreaking havoc with ball in hand, while the ball-carrying exploits of Leonardo Senatore, Jonathan Thomas and Mike Williams kept Pirates pinned back.
The visitors were not helping themselves, though, as a host of flimsy tackles created numerous chances for Warriors and they took full advantage. Biggs got his first and Worcester’s fourth before Howard finished off a stunning move in midfield involving Lamb and Stelling to bring up try number five.
As the hosts pushed for more, they were then guilty of making one too many ambitious passes as Kieran Goss intercepted from well inside his own half and sprinted through to score, which Kieran Hallett converted.
But Worcester soon got back on track as a driving maul saw Darren O’Shea crash over before Biggs notched up his second just before the break.
The half time interval appeared to come at the right time for the visitors as they dusted themselves down and came back firing.
Goss and Laurence May crossed the whitewash, with Hallett nailing both conversions to close the gap at 43-21.
And it could have been reduced further as lock Chris Morgan spilled the ball when the try-line was at his mercy.
After taking their foot off the gas, Warriors eventually regained control as another solid scrum allowed Jonny Arr to slip down the blindside and dive over.
Biggs then secured his second hat-trick of the season and in superb style as he weaved his way to the line. Andy Symons added the extras.
Argentina skipper Agustin Creevy took Worcester’s try tally into double figures, which piled more misery on Pirates. But Ian Davies’ men managed to salvage something as Hallett touchdown late on to seal a bonus point.