Coming into today’s fixture yet to drop a point in the Premiership Rugby Academies League, Saints’ made the trip to third place Worcester looking to continue that record but fell to a strong Worcester side at Sixways.
It took the home side less than two minutes to get on the scoreboard. With Saints defence down a man, after Joe Wallace was sent to the sin bin with less than a minute on the clock, Worcester sent a driving maul towards the whitewash and Beck Cutting claimed the score at the base.
Despite still being a man down, Saints returned their hosts' attacks and earned James Grayson a shot at the posts which he duly converted to get his side off the mark.
A slinking run from Ollie Sleightholme gained the travelling side half the length of the pitch, before a driving maul earned Saints another penalty within Grayson’s range. The fly-half’s kick split the uprights and sent Saints into the lead.
Worcester pushed their guests deep into their own 22 and though a turnover from Saints relieved the immediate pressure, the home side built up an overlap to send Alex Bartley over in the corner. George Wootten added the tough touchline conversion to see the home side six to the good.
A break from Will Butler in the mid-field gave way for Worcester’s next score, the centre setting up the home side’s full back Nick David for Worcester’s third. Wootten converted once again to see Saints 19-6 down with ten minutes of the first half left to play.
With Worcester now down to 14, Ollie Lawrence in the sin bin, Saints pressured the home side but were unable to break through and the home side made it through the sin bin period without conceding to end the first half with a 13-point lead.
Saints came back after half time with a renewed attack and earned Grayson another shot at the posts with less than a minute on the clock, which the fly-half sent through.
Saints’ attack did not subside and the forwards sent a rolling maul towards the whitewash, Josaia Wacokecoke claiming the score. Grayson added the extras to bring the game back within three.
The home side responded immediately, however, with a try of their own. Good backs play saw Alex Forrester over for the bonus point, Wootten converting to give Worcester a ten-point lead once again.
Worcester continued to push Saints’ lines and worked another overlap for Bartley to collect his second of the afternoon. Wootten’s touchline conversion split the uprights once again.
Forrester, too, added his second of the afternoon for the home side with less than five minutes left to play and another came for Worcester in the form of George Hawkes with the time run out. Lawrence missed the conversion but Worcester had already done enough.
TEAMS
WARRIORS David; Fostier, Lawrence, Butler, Bartley, Forrester, Wootten; Furnival, Cutting, Rigby, Weston, Scott, Fawcett, Thorneywork, Hill
Subs – Harrison, Baggs, Owen, Jeavon-Fellows, Butler, Hawkes, Jackson, King
SAINTS Green; Segun, Strachan, Cappaert, Sleightholme, Grayson, Warn; Charalambous, Ma’asi, Painter, West, Coles, Britton, Wallace, Onojaife
Subs – Riseman, Wacokecoke, Dix, Finch, Davies, Creighton, Tupai, Berrill
TIMELINE
1min SAINTS Yellow card Wallace 0-0
2mins WARRIORS Try Cutting 5-0
10mins SAINTS Pen Grayson 5-3
14mins SAINTS Pen Grayson 5-6
18mins WARRIORS Try Bartley Con Wootten 12-6
23mins WARRIORS Try David Con Wootten 19-6
26mins WARRIORS Yellow Card Lawrence 19-6
HALF TIME Warriors 19 Saints 6
36mins SAINTS Pen Grayson 19-9
46mins SAINTS Try Wacokecoke Con Grayson 19-16
50mins WARRIORS Try Forrester Con Wootten 26-16
55mins WARRIORS Try Bartley Con Wootten 33-16
67mins WARRIORS Try Forrester Con 38-16
70mins WARRIORS Try Hawkes 43-16
FULL TIME Warriors 43 Saints 16
