Saturday, January 31, 2004

'BORING, boring' Worcester rang out the jeers. It must have been music to their ears.

The Warriors may have gone away wind-swept and uninteresting from the London Welsh perspective but the league leaders couldn't care less.

And why should they?

Twelve points clear at the top of National One after their 17th successive league victory, this was not a moment for apology. Their latest success may not live long in the memory for entertainment value but it thunderously spelt out just why Worcester will be in the Premiership next season.

The howls of derision were based around Worcester's decision to take the penalty goals on offer once the bonus point had been sown up but there was nothing to be ashamed of. This was about the art of winning and Worcester, this season, have become true artisans. On a day when winds lashed Old Deer Park, the Sixways pack blew away the Welsh with a ferocity which dwarfed any impact the conditions may have had. Sure enough, the wind played merry hell with Chris Ritchie's throw at the lineout but Craig Gillies and Mark Gabey were always one step ahead and dominated throughout.

Such was the control up front that Worcester always looked the more likely, either through the backs or from a drive. It was just a matter of picking and choosing the moments.

David Officer certainly did that. With Ben Hinshelwood out of the side, courtesy of Kramer Ronaki's forearm smash last weekend, this was a golden opportunity to remind coaches John Brain and Andy Keast what he was all about. He didn't disappoint.

The centre will be the first to admit that his two first half tries were the product of slick moves involving James Brown, Gary Trueman and Wes Davies. However, it was his desire to support play that reaped the rewards as he popped over the line twice following bursts from winger Davies.

London Welsh should have made more of that first period with the wind behind them but they passed up a number of penalty goals, opting instead for the lineout. The only problem was that Ritchie simply couldn't adapt to the conditions while his jumpers were outclassed by Worcester's locks.

That combination starved the Welsh of ball and meant they had to be content with one Seb Fitzgerald penalty while they were also forced to play with a man down because of Steve Ravenscroft's yellow card for killing the ball.

With the advantage of the wind in the second period, the result was almost a forgone conclusion because Worcester weren't about to ignore such an opportunity. On came replacement Tommy Hayes and the man with the biggest boot in the league also had a gale on his side.

Ultimately, two tries from skipper Tony Windo sealed the bonus point, both coming from broken play after drives had knocked the stuffing out of the Welsh. Two Hayes penalties and a conversion later and the victory looked all the more impressive.

It may not have entertained the Welsh but Worcester are in the business of results, not pandering to the audience. They've endured the euphemistically soaked tag of 'entertainers' before and it got them nowhere.

Next season, you have to believe, they will at last be able to strut their stuff on the biggest of stages. Until then, they will make do with results.

Worcester: O'Leary 8; Garrard 8, Officer 8, Trueman 7, Davies 7; Brown 8, Swanepoel 7; Windo 8, Hall 7, Lyman 7, LGABEY 9, Gillies 8, Bates 7, Earnshaw 8, Evans 7.

Replacements: Powell 8 (Swanepoel 61), Hayes 8 (Trueman 44), Hylton (Davies 71), Clunis, Fortey 8 (Lyman 51), Zaltzman, Pfister (Bates 71).

Man of the match: Mark Gabey - big presence in the Worcester pack and lineout.