Worcester Warriors 15 London Irish 32 (From Worcester News)

Worcester Warriors 15 London Irish 32

6:40pm Sunday 26th April 2009 in Sport By Tom Guest, @tomguestWN #WENsport

WORCESTER Warriors rounded off their Guinness Premiership season with a five-try 32-15 home defeat to title-chasing London Irish, but the youthful hosts showed plenty of promise for next season.

Mike Ruddock’s young guns gave an impressive first-half showing to hold the Madejski Stadium high-fliers to a 10-10 interval stalemate, before the visitors proved their title credentials after the break with a masterclass of running rugby.

Ruddock’s team selection proved he had one eye on this weekend’s European Challenge Cup semi-final in Bourgoin, but that has now been hampered by injuries to Marcel Garvey and Loki Crichton.

Crichton and up-and-coming fly-half Joey Carlisle showed early on that Worcester were going to try and attack their higher-placed opponents by combining neatly to run the ball out from under their own posts.

However, with the hosts missing three senior prop forwards, it was inevitable they would find life difficult at scrum time and Irish were awarded a penalty when Darren Morris, playing out of position at tighthead, was guilty of not binding.

England full-back Delon Armitage shanked his fifth-minute effort wide left, before also failing to find the target with another shot at goal — this time from the half-way line.

Despite the hosts’ defensive efforts, they were undone on 16 minutes when the Exiles flexed their attacking muscles to stretch Worcester before neat hands sent left wing Saliosi Tagicakibau over beside the posts. Armitage added the extras.

Worcester came roaring back at their opponents and, following a penalty for a pull back on half-way, they kicked to the Irish 22 and claimed the line-out ball.

A brilliant break from captain-for-the-day Matt Powell, who has announced his retirement and was playing his 151st match for the club, took the hosts to the line where hooker Chris Fortey was on hand to barrell over. Carlisle levelled the scores by converting.

Both sides saw good attacking platforms undermined by unforced errors.

Worcester gave away a penalty for not releasing near the Irish 22, but the visitors knocked-on after Armitage’s barnstorming run into home territory.

On the half-hour mark, Carlisle gave his side the lead with a penalty after a Worcester attack was halted by a deliberate knock-on.

However, Worcester were turned over again straight from the re-start and Armitage finally found his range to quickly restore parity.

As Worcester cranked up the pressure, Netani Talei crashed over the line but referee Andrew Small ruled it was a double movement and chalked off the score.

The Exiles found a higher gear after the break, though, and took just four minutes to score a try.

Crichton dithered while gathering a kick in behind, leading to an Irish penalty as the support defenders went off their feet.

The hosts opted for the scrum and giant number eight Chris Hala’ufia picked up at the base and barged over for Armitage to improve the score. Carlisle had two opportunities in quick succession to reduce the arrears but his radar was off target both times.

It was punished by the irrepressible Seliala Mapusua, who pounced on a loose ball at a Worcester ruck and burst through two feeble tackles to set Irish off and running. From the next breakdown, scrum-half Paul Hodgson nipped down the blindside to score.

Delon Armitage then tore the Warriors defence apart with a power-packed run, before the ball was worked wide to his brother Steffon, who off-loaded deftly for fellow back-rower Declan Danaher to crash over for the bonus-point score.

Fly-half Peter Hewat took over kicking duties but was as wasteful as Armitage.

Warriors inexperience — they had 12 players from the academy on the field at one stage in the second-half — showed as Irish took full control.

Worcester attempted to run the ball out of defence with replacement scrum-half Jonny Arr’s quick tap-penalty.

Rico Gear sent the ball out to Mike Penn, who looked to float the ball to Benjamin.

However, wing Adam Thompstone picked off the pass and galloped over unopposed for try number five. Back on kicking duties, Armitage missed again.

Hooker Aleki Luti had to replace Callum Black at loosehead after 73 minutes as the game went to uncontested scrums.

Although Irish were worthy winners, Worcester did have the final say of the game as they again ran from deep through Benjamin and then centre Alex Grove, before replacement George Crook dived over in the corner for his first senior try. Carlisle missed the conversion and the final whistle blew.