Worcester Warriors 13 Harlequins 37
Aviva Premiership
Geoff Berkeley reports from Sixways
THREE games in and the league table is already starting to show the task which is facing Dean Ryan and his men this season.
Worcester Warriors slumped to the foot of the Aviva Premiership ladder after they were swept aside by an on-fire Harlequins side last Friday.
For long periods it was a difficult watch for the Sixways faithful as the Londoners racked up four tries, while yellow cards for Jake Abbott, Ed Shervington and Josh Matavesi added to their misery.
The defeat was also their third in succession as they slipped into the drop zone. But Ryan defended his players as he looks ahead to winnable battles against fellow strugglers London Wasps and Newcastle Falcons in the coming weeks.
“Sometimes you have to accept that we were second by some distance today,” he said. “We have had a look at a top of the table and we are not there. I don’t think that is a big surprise.
“At the moment we are not a side who can play with that level of offloading and speed of thought, so we have just got to wipe our wounds and move onto next week.”
Ryan added: “Let’s keep things in context. We have lost our opening three games. We have lost to Leicester and Harlequins, which is probably where we are. Although we are disappointed to have lost in a disappointing manner against London Irish.
“But this group is well motivated and I am enjoying coaching them.”
Despite Quins’ dominance, it was Warriors who opened the scoring when Ignacio Mieres knocked over a penalty on three minutes.
The hosts were also standing up to whatever the 2012 Premiership champions could throw at them as a superb scrambling tackle from Chris Pennell denied Chris Robshaw.
Two penalties in quick succession from Nick Evans saw Quins move in front at 6-3, but Worcester were still proving a tough nut to crack as they defended their line stoutly.
Even when Abbott was brandished a yellow card, Warriors managed to level the tie with a Mieres penalty, while Josh Drauniniu was forced into touch.
But Quins’ class eventually shone through as Robshaw passed inside for Danny Care, who darted through to score under the posts to leave a simple conversion for Evans to dispatch.
Ed Shervington then became the second Warriors player to see yellow as Quins pinned the hosts back before prop Joe Marler drove over from close range.
Evans again added the extras to give his side a commanding 20-6 lead at the break.
Things did not get any better for Worcester at the start of the second period as Quins struck twice in the opening ten minutes.
A deft offload from Mike Brown saw hooker Rob Buchanan over in the corner before the provider turned scorer as the full back secured the four-try bonus point. Evans converted both to give Quins an unassailable 34-6 lead.
Despite the score-line and being down to 14 men when Matavesi was sin-binned for a shoulder charge, Warriors continued to plug away.
It looked like Worcester were not to get the try they craved as skipper Jonathan Thomas dropped ball with the try line at his mercy.
But Ryan’s side eventually got their reward as Quins, who had lost Maurie Fa’asavalu to a yellow card, were repeatedly penalised to see referee Wayne Barnes award a penalty, which Mieres converted.
It was the visitors, though, who rounded off the victory with a penalty from replacement Ben Botica late on.
