Jump to Main ContentJump to Primary Navigation
SaintsConference & EventsFoundationStore
News

WORCESTER 22 WANDERERS 16 Dickens proud of gutsy Wandies

Travis PerkinsSponsored by Travis Perkins

Harry Mallinder was the unfortunate man to see red after an ugly but unavoidable collision under a restart and while Howard Packman’s earlier try meant they led at half-time, the Cavaliers squeezed home with the only try after the break.

"I thought the character that the boys showed tonight was outstanding," Dickens told SaintsTV. "To play for an hour with 14 men and come away with a bonus point was a positive but ultimately the boys are a bit disappointed not to have got the win, despite the situation."

An early lead belonged to the away team courtesy of Will Hooley’s 40-metre penalty and when the phases of a first attack ran into double figures inside Worcester’s 22, Dom Waldouck’s pick up and ship wide was only bettered by Packman’s feet to jink and dart over.

A momentum swing was quick in following though and having seen James Stephenson put the hosts on the board following a slick attack, from the restart Harry Mallinder was shown a red card when Matt Perks tumbled over the young centre in the air.


It was a tad harsh on the Saintsman in an incident strikingly similar to the one which saw Jared Payne sent off in last season’s Heineken Cup meeting between Ulster and Saracens, but the 14 men responded well to the set-back.


Territory was the name of the game and while a spill conceded scrum, a free kick earned was converted to a penalty and Hooley slotted the points from straight in front.


With the ball, the Wanderers were coping well a man down, but in defence it was to prove a little more difficult. Worcester played quickly off the top of a lineout and Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier found space to go beneath the posts as the visiting line drifted wide a fraction too early.


The second half’s first points again went to the visiting side, bullish work from the forwards teeing up Hooley for a straightforward drop goal but the Cavaliers’ went in front for the first time when Mat Gilbert shoved his way over from close range.


A couple of long range pot shots narrowly missed the target for the Wandies and Robbie Keith increased the gap with a simple penalty, but the contest was far from over.


The Wanderers continued to boss the scrum and one of a string of set-piece penalties took them deep into the home 22 as the clock ticked down.


A couple of penalties later though, the hosts nicked one against the head and having worked their way upfield, Worcester were free to end the game in Wanderers territory.


TIMELINE

6mins WAND Pen Hooley 0-3

19mins WAND Try Packman Con Hooley 0-10

21mins WORCS Try Stephenson 5-10

23mins WAND Red Mallinder

38mins WORCS Try Bruzulier Con Keith 12-13

HALF-TIME WORCS 12 WAND 13


47mins WORCS Try Gilbert Con Keith

50mins WAND Miss pen Hooley

52mins WAND Miss pen Olver

59mins WORCS Pen Keith 22-16

78mins WORCS Miss pen Keith

FT WORCS 22 WAND 16


WORCS - Humphreys; Drauniniu, Grove, Fatiaki, Stephenson; Keith, Bruzulier (capt); Fainga’anuku, Sowrey, Rees, Perks, Taylor, Gilbert, Harry, de Carpentier


Reps - Singleton, Cosgrove, O’Donnell, Edwards, Watkins, de Cothi, Hughes, Brown


WANDERERS - Collins; Packman, Waldouck, Mallinder, Skelcey; Hooley, A Day; E Waller, Haywood, Denman, Woolford, Onojaife, Dowson (capt), Harrison, Dolan


Reps - McMillan, Hobbs-Awoyemi, Mercey, Williams, Nutley, Hodgson, Olver, Hutchinson

Visit the Saints Store
Visit the Saints Store
Match tickets on sale now!
Match tickets on sale now!
23/24 Rugby Camps
23/24 Rugby Camps