HIGH-FLYING Bristol Bears are next up for Worcester Warriors as Alan Solomons’ men look to bounce back from their agonising 22-21 reverse to Bath at a storm-ravaged Sixways.
Warriors make the trip down the M5 on Sunday (kick-off 3pm) to face a Bears side who currently sit fourth in the Gallagher Premiership standings and with one eye on a place in the European Champions Cup next season.
Solomons’ side will hope for a repeat of last season’s 27-25 Ashton Gate thriller which kick-started a run of four wins in their last six games to ensure Warriors comfortably secured a place in English rugby’s top flight for another season.
The Sixways side slipped down to ninth after their third home league loss of the season as Bath held on for a narrow victory at rain-lashed Sixways last Saturday.
Warriors’ Chris Pennell was only just off target with a last-second howitzer penalty attempt from five metres inside his own half which would have snatched a dramatic win had it not drifted narrowly wide on the wind.
Driving rain and a strong southerly wind throughout made conditions difficult for both sides particularly the kickers with Duncan Weir, so often Warriors’ match-winner, suffering most.
The Scotland international fly-half struck one monster penalty midway through the second half but five more of his kicks went astray.
In the end tries from Bath at the start of each half proved decisive in a contest that was gripping despite the miserable conditions.
Zach Mercer went over after 90 seconds after Warriors failed to secure the kick-off and Francois Louw went over for another close range try after Warriors went down to 14 men at the start of the second half when Graham Kitchener was sin-binned for impeding scrum-half Will Chudley.
Warriors’ tries from Cornell Du Preez in the first half and then debutant Nick David set up a grandstand finish. David outpaced the cover defence to dot down in the corner after Sam Lewis had put him in space with a superb pass in the difficult conditions.
With time running out, Pennell backed himself to win the match and only just failed to do so as Warriors had to settle for a losing bonus point.