Warriors outclassed by Bath in heavy Premiership defeat - The Worcester Observer

Warriors outclassed by Bath in heavy Premiership defeat

Worcester Editorial 5th Jan, 2018 Updated: 5th Jan, 2018   0

Warriors 25-46 Bath

Sixways

Aviva Premiership

 




WARRIORS failed to pick up a point for the first time in 13 outings following a heavy defeat to Bath under the Sixways floodlights on Friday night.

Following an exchange of penalties between Chris Pennell and Rhys Priestland, Bath scored when Paul Grant bundled over to open a 13-6 half-time advantage.


The West Country outfit then opened a 14-point lead when skipper Matt Garvey dived across the whitewash.

Anthony Watson then sprinted across untouched to put the game out of sight.

Warriors had a consolation score from Scotland international David Denton, but Bath hit back through James Phillips and Kahn Fotuali’i.

A late Joe Taufete’e try was cancelled out by another Fotuali’i score, before Perry Humphreys wound the game up when he bullied his way over at the death.

The visitors had the ascendency in the early exchanges and soon took the lead courtesy of a Priestland penalty, following some fast flowing passes.

Bath almost added to their lead moments later had Sam Olver not manged to get his hands on a Watson offload, after the England full-back burst downfield.

Warriors then struggled to clear the ball from their own 22 and paid the price when Priestland added his second penalty of the evening.

The hosts had the chance to reduce the deficit with a Pennell penalty, but his effort from the far right of the halfway line fell short of the posts.

The Worcester-born veteran then missed another penalty, this time on Bath’s 22, but slotted his third attempt to make it 6-3.

As the first half dwindled down the game was mostly played in midfield as crunching tackles by both sides halted any danger.

But Bath extended their lead to 13-3 before the interval when Grant dived over from close range, before Priestland converted the resulting penalty.

Pennell then scored a penalty from in front of the posts as the sides turned around at 13-6.

The visitors added their second try of the evening straight after the break when Garvey broke a tackle and threw himself over the line to ground, be3fore Priestland added the extras.

Bryce Heem then thought he had scored the hosts’ first try out wide, but the Kiwi knocked the ball on as he touched down.

Warriors continued to pile on the pressure and had the ball on Bath’s tryline for a prolonged period of time, but they couldn’t find a way over.

Director of rugby Alan Solomons’ men were made to rue that missed opportunity when Watson made a break in midfield and galloped freely across the whitewash, which Priestland converted.

The hosts were finally off the mark when Denton smashed his way under the posts, which Pennell converted to claw the game back to 27-13.

But just minutes later Phillips manged to ground under the posts to regain the visitors’ 21-point advantage, before Fotuali’i crashed over to open a 41-13 lead.

Taufete’e pounced over for a late Worcester score, but Fotuali’i wrapped the game up for Bath when he dived over following a sublime offload by James Wilson, despite Humphreys’ consolation try at the death.

Warriors return to action next Saturday when they host Connacht at Sixways in the European Challenge Cup (kick-off 3pm).

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