Worcester Warriors 11  London Irish 12 - "Sometimes you have to win ugly"

Paddy Lennon reports from Sixways.

Toby Booth’s comment in the post-match press conference summed up a game which London Irish deserved to win despite having to work hard against a well organised defence. 

A relatively mild evening in the West Midlands provided good conditions for playing with ball in hand especially in the first half, but the home team employed a defensive system that was content to slow the ball by committing minimum numbers to the breakdown and ensure they also players fanned out left and right to stop any attacks. Irish struggled to overcome the strategy with the result that they played poorly by their standards.  The game evolved into an exciting contest thanks to the closeness of the scoring but it lacked quality. 

Irish looked sharp from Peter Hewat’s kick-off and had the better of the exchanges in the opening ten minutes.  The pressure resulted in two long range penalties in the fourth and tenth minutes which Delon Armitage kicked but both drifted narrowly wide.

A schoolboy crossing error by Loki Crichton and Miles Benjamin resulted in a third penalty for Irish in the 13th minute.  This one was within Peter Hewat’s range and the Australian stepped up confidently and sent the ball between the uprights for the opening score.

Prompted by Matt Powell at scrum half and Thinus Delport at full back, Worcester gradually played themselves into the game and began to create chances.  Time and again, however, their hard work was undone by basic errors to the frustration of the large and vociferous home support. 

Backchat to the referee byWorcester’s Drew Hickey gave Hewat his second penalty chance of the match in the 28th minute.  Once again the full back sent the ball between the upright’s to extend Irish’s lead.

With James Hudson, Bob Casey and Kieran Roche holding their own against the formidable Craig Gillies in the lineout, Irish were competing well in this phase although the scrum had to work hard.  In the 31st minute the Warriors pack sucked the visitors’ defence into a rolling maul inside their 22.  The ball was passed out right by Powell to Benjamin, he straightened and picked up the pace before passing to Rico Gear who raced along the touchline to score in the right corner.  Loki Crichton missed the conversion but the Warriors were back in the game.

Gonzalo Tiesi replaced the injured Nils Mordt in the 34th minute when the latter retired with an ankle injury. In the following minute Warriors’ prop Tony Windo was penalised for not binding at a scrum and Hewat stepped up once again to kick his third penalty and stretch Irish’s lead to 9-5.   

With half-time approaching Mike Catt’s game management skills came to the fore as he steered the Exiles securely to the interval.

Irish had the better of the exchanges from the restart as they took the game to the Warriors.  Peter Hewat was at the heart of much that was good, showing judgement and skill in kicking a drop goal from 25 metres in the 43rd minute.

Worcester were stung into action by the score and captain Pat Sanderson led by example as the home team came at Irish.  Casey’s men responded in exemplary fashion defending in depth and covering for each other.  A Catt clearance kick was charged down by Sanderson, Irish were penalised for not releasing and Loki Crichton sent the ball between the uprights to reduce the visitors’ lead to 12-8.

Given that this was London Irish’s second, physically demanding game in six days, the strategy for the use of the replacements was going to be important and so it proved.  Irish immediately introduced Richard Skuse, David Paice and Nick Kennedy into the game to reinforce the pack and all three had an immediate impact in helping to stem the tide of pressure from the home team.  As the game entered its final quarter Worcester looked the more likely to score.  Shane Drahm, who had so often put Irish to the sword in the past, replaced Loki Crichton at fly half and within a minute kicked a penalty from 35 metres to bring the Warriors within one point of Irish.

An exciting final quarter ensued.  Juan Leguizamon replaced Kieran Roche for Irish and soon made a crucial, spectacular catch of an up and under by Drahm.  In the 67th minute Drew Hickey conceded a penalty that disrupted his team’s momentum.  Although Hewat’s kick drifted wide the home team struggled to regain the initiative.

With ten minutes remaining Irish took charge and pressed inside the Worcester 22.  Richard Skuse broke clear and showing a turn of speed that Topsy Ojo would be proud of raced for the try line only to be stopped five metres short.  Irish recycled the ball and attacked the line but the defence held.    

Realising that the clock was speeding against them the Warriors tried desperately to break out of their half but met a resilient defence as Bob Casey marshalled his troops.  Drahm pushed the Warriors into Irish territory and they fought ferociously for a final try or penalty that would secure the game.  Irish maintained their discipline and held on for a vital win in one of the most difficult grounds in the country to get a result. 

Scorers: Worcester Warriors: Try: Gear (31). Penalty goals: Crichton (51), Drahm (60). London Irish: Drop goal: Hewat (43). Penalty goals: Hewat 3 (13, 28, 35).

Scoring sequence (Worcester first):  0-3, 0-6, 5-6, 5-9 (half-time) 5-12, 8-12, 11-12.

Worcester: T Delport, R Gear, D Rasmussen (rep: M Garvey, 74), S Tuitupou, M Benjamin, L Crichton (rep: S Drahm, 61), M Powell (rep: R Powell, 66), T Windo (rep: S Ruwers, 61), A Lutui, T Taumoepeau (rep: M Mullan, 77), G Rawlinson, C Gillies (rep: W Bowley, 77), D Hickey (rep: T Wood, 68), P Sanderson (captain), K Horstman.

London Irish: P Hewat, T Ojo, D Armitge, N Mordt (rep: G Tiesi, 34), S Tagicakibau, M Catt, W Fury, T Lea’aetoa (rep: R Skuse, 51), D Coetzee (rep: D Paice, 51), F Rautenbach (rep: D Murphy, 40), J Hudson (rep: N Kennedy, 51), B Casey (captain), K Roche (rep: J Leguizamon, 62), S Armitage, R Thorpe.       

Referee: Mr Rob Debney (RFU)

Attendance: 10,157

Match Statistics

	11-12
T C P DG Player         Windo         Lutui         Taumoepeau         Rawlinson         Gillies         Hickey         Sanderson         Horstmann         Powell, Matt     1   Crichton         Benjamin         Tuitupou         Rasmussen 1       Gear         Delport         Mullan         Ruwers         Bowley         Wood         Powell, Ryan     1   Drahm         Garvey	Position 1. L/Prop 2. Hooker 3. T/Prop 4. Lock 5. Lock 6. B/Flanker 7. O/Flanker 8. No 8 9. Scrum-half 10. Fly-half 11. Wing 12. Centre 13. Centre 14. Wing 15. Fullback 16. Sub 17. Sub 18. Sub 19. Sub 20. Sub 21. Sub 22. Sub	Player T C P DG Lea'aetoa         Coetzee         Rautenbach         Hudson         Casey         Roche         Armitage, Steffon         Thorpe         Fury         Catt         Tagicakibau         Mordt         Armitage, Delon         Ojo         Hewat     3 1 Murphy, Dan         Paice         Skuse         Kennedy         Leguizamon         Stevenson         Tiesi