Richards’ boys put in spin by Worcester big-hitters
ALAN Solomons compared a swashbuckling display by his Worcester side to a patient cricket innings as his Warriors tonked Newcastle for 21 unanswered second-half points.
Worcester trailed 13-6 at half time, but had softened the Falcons up through the hard ball-carrying of Will Spencer and the outstanding David Denton.
The scoreboard then rattled over in the second half as the Warriors scored three tries in 13 minutes.
Director of rugby Solomons said: “We’ve spoken a lot about building an innings. It might be your 4, 5 or 6 batsmen who score the runs, but it’s the openers who build the innings. It’s the same in rugby – you reap the rewards in the last 20 minutes.” Worcester conceded 58 points at Sale last week, but did not concede a single one in this second half as their pack turned the screw and their backs ran wild.
“We set our performance against Sale right,” said Solomons. “Full marks to the players they performed terrifically. Because we played well here we remain in control of our destiny.”
If Worcester hadn’t won then that destiny would have looked very uncertain indeed, with bottom-placed London Irish having swept Harlequins aside.
Newcastle’s destiny is also open to question. The Falcons came into this game with the best away record in the Premiership but this loss left them two points outside the play-offs.
Toby Flood walked off gingerly on 56 minutes and was soon icing his right wrist, but Falcons boss Dean Richards expects his fly-half to be fine.
It was as if a jolt of electricity went through Sixways at the 60-minute mark. Dorian Jones had just come on for his Premiership debut at fly-half and in little more than quarter of an hour later the Warriors had scored three tries, with the Welshman converting all three.
It was fitting that Denton grabbed two of the touchdowns. The Scotland international had repeatedly offered himself at first receiver and been pivotal in wearing down the Newcastle defence. Denton might be moving to Leicester but he played like a man with a particular point to prove.
Denton scored either side of a try by Nick Schonert, the prop finishing off a breathless passage of play that had begun with an electric break by livewire centre Jackson Willison and quickwitted Warriors handling.
The scoreline would have been more decisive had Chris Pennell and Spencer not knocked on with the try line at their mercy.
Worcester had applied plenty of pressure in the first half, but with Pennell having an off-day from the tee the scores were tied at 6- 6 on the cusp of half time.
Then, when Vereniki Goneva capitalised on excellent work down the left by Alex Tait to score the game’s opening try, it looked as if Newcastle might just continue their excellent form on the road.
But Worcester weren’t to be thwarted. They began the second half with plenty of zip and variety, and their energy eventually wore the Falcons down.
CLOSE-UP
JACKSON WILLISON
Worcester centre
JOSH MATAVESI
Newcastle centre
Willison was guilty of an aimless, over-hit kick in the first half, but other than that the Worcester centre outshone his opposite number. Along with the rest of the Worcester three-quarters, Willison sprang into life on the hour mark and was instrumental in unpicking the Falcons backline.
Matavesi, who had two seasons at Sixways, was solid in defence throughout the first half but conjured up little in attack as the Falcons squandered possession.
