WORCESTER Rugby Club clawed their way back into the promotion hunt by moving two points closer to leaders Leeds with a 57-3 demolition of West Hartlepool at Sixways.

Leeds' 15-3 defeat at London Welsh means Worcester are now back in the hunt when just five weeks ago they looked dead and buried.

They must now hope Rotherham can win at Leeds in a fortnight's time and then become the first team for almost two years to win at Rotherham.

London Irish were the last side to win at Clifton Lane in a play-off in May 1998, so it is a tall order, but at least now Worcester have a glimmer of hope.

"It just shows there's a long, long way to go in the league," said Worcester's director of rugby Les Cusworth.

"People have said there's three sides in the race, Rotherham, Leeds and ourselves and there's not a lot between the three and it all depends on they perform on each day.

"There were signs today that we're getting back to our form and it was great that one of the old campaigners Steve Lloyd was at the heart of it.

"He's a quality rugby player and we need more people like that in the team, enjoying their rugby and playing with a smile on their faces.

"But we also had youngsters in Brett Scriven and Bennett Smith who acquitted themselves well."

Worcester stuttered in the first-half, missing a host of clear-cut chances after Nathan Carter was sin-binned after just three minutes for stamping.

Bottom club West Hartlepool are in a parlous state with no ground and no money, but their players continue to give their all and in James Lofthouse they had a stand-off relishing playing against his old club.

But by the end they were thoroughly beaten with two players sin-binned for killing the ball, including former Worcester flanker Steve Hobson, and two others sent off.

The North-Easterners also conceded eight tries and had full-back Jon Golightly taken to hospital with crushed vertebrae in his neck.

All that on a day when the new laws on line-outs, scrummaging and tackle came into play.

"I thought the new laws were positive and the referee interpreted them well," added Cusworth.

"If a player is seen to be killing the ball he should be sin-binned, I've got no problem with that as it's a positive step for positive rugby."