Saturday, February 12, 2000

WORCESTER put three weeks of turbulent transfer dealings behind them to score a 57-3 victory in an incident packed match with West Hartlepool.

On paper it looked a drab encounter between one of Premiership Two's high fliers and the club destined to finish last but it provided a host of talking points.

The first came after just three minutes when Worcester flanker Nathan Carter was sin-binned for stamping only to be joined moments later by West Hartlepool flanker Steve Hobson and lock Chris Webb -- both for killing the ball and stifling play.

By the time Carter had returned, Tony Yapp's opening penalty had been cancelled out by a fine James Lofthouse drop-goal. But Worcester's territorial advantage eventually paid off.

Carter's first act was to help drive hooker James Richards over for the game's first try and although they wasted at least three clear cut chances, Worcester still led 22-3 at half-time with tries from Bruce Fenley and Richards.

Both had seized upon Hartlepool mistakes at the set-piece yards from their own line.

Then, as the visitors tired, the gaps began opening up.

Carter made amends for his sin-bin to score his second try of the season following good driving from the pack and Hartlepool's problems then escalated when lock Andrew Davies was sent-off for a nasty stamp on Rob Myler.

Worcester's running became more direct and effective and a burst from lock Steve Lloyd gave debutant Brett Scriven a moment to savour as he marked his debut by scoring under the posts.

Only in the dying minutes did Worcester really cut loose, Ben Harvey scoring the sixth, showing pace and a nice angle to score straight from a scrum.

They needed no favours by now but referee Stuart Teheege obliged anyway awarding a penalty try for West Hartlepool handling in a ruck on their own line when clearly a clumsy Worcester boot had kicked it forward.

But they saved the best score until last with Harvey making the break before Myler, back on with heavy strapping to his head, made the scoring pass to Lloyd.

The giant lock milked the applause, much to the crowd's approval, showing that smiles are beginning to return at Sixways.

Unfortunately the score left West's fullback in a neck brace but he was allowed home after a hospital check-up.

Their misery was complete when Martin Challinor was sent-off for dissent in injury-time.

The difference between the have and have nots in Premiership Two could not have been starker.

Worcester: Tuipulotu (Myler 65), Myler (Martens 58), Higgins, Currier, Baxter (Woof 50), Yapp (Harvey 58), Fenley, Linnett, Richards (Ball 72), Lyman (Smith 40), Denhardt (Lloyd 40), Raymond, Scriven, Carter, Jenner.

Replacement not used: Merlin.

Attendance: 2,043.