WHEN Worcester’s first attacking intent came from a Tevita Taumoepeau outside break, you could just tell it was going to be one of those games.

However, as the match went on, it soon became clear that Mike Ruddock and his coaching team had taken the wire brush to their side to remove the rustiness which was blamed for the pitiful effort at Gloucester the week before.

This LV= Cup success, which came courtesy of an early Chris Pennell try and 12 points from Willie Walker’s right foot, although not perfect, was a giant leap forward from the Kingsholm capitulation and bodes well for Saturday’s return to Guinness Premiership action against Saracens.

Fans making the trip to Wembley, though, shouldn’t expect a repeat of the ambitious game-plan Ruddock employed against the Exiles as it is certain to be another battle of the boot against kick-everything Sarries.

The fact Worcester and London Irish needed a miracle to qualify for the knock-out stages of the competition meant they were both keen to run the ball at every opportunity and made for an at times chaotic spectacle.

Early on, a comedy of errors ensued as Aleki Lutui snaffled a loose ball from a ruck and sent Marcel Garvey one-on-one with Topsy Ojo. The Warriors wing chipped into space to set up a foot race between two of the Premiership’s fastest playters.

Ojo got there first but fumbled the ball, Chris Latham hacked on but couldn’t gather before Ojo again tried to claim the ball only for Garvey to intervene.

However, the bounce of the ball beat everyone and Peter Hewat was able to clear.

To continue the unusual start to the game, Worcester took the lead and the architect was Dale Rasmussen, who rather than taking the ball into contact, stepped his man — a rarity in itself — and sent in-form wing Pennell over for a try, which Willie Walker improved.

A big hit by the impressive Rasmussen on Hewat following Latham’s intelligent chip into space and great on-his-feet follow up work by Garvey won Worcester a penalty for the Exiles’ full-back not releasing. Latham kicked to the corner and the home line-out secured possession, but a break down in communication saw the ball go free and Irish were able to force a turn-over.

Flanker Chris Cracknell was penalised for playing the ball on the deck and former Gloucester stand-off Ryan Lamb opened his side’s account from 40 metres.

Greg King, in for Sammy Tuitupou, stamped his mark on the game with a fine break after Worcester had taken a scrum against the head before getting up brilliantly to steal Walker’s cute cross-kick from Ojo’s hands.

The academy graduate surged for the line and was supported by Pat Sanderson, but the cover defence managed to touch the ball back. A strong Warriors scrum took the ball over the line, but Irish managed to hold it up.

Second time around, the home eight again marched their opponents back, but as Kai Horstmann touched down, referee David Bodilly adjudged the scrum had rotated too far.

A free-kick went the hosts’ way at the ensuing set-piece and they scrummed again. This time the ball was sent wide only for the backs to butcher the chance with a series of poor passes and a knock-on.

However, the Exiles opted for a scrum and were crushed again, giving Walker the simplest of kicks to extend the lead.

So dominant in the first half-an-hour, the Warriors front row then collapsed in front of their own sticks, allowing Lamb to peg back another three points. From the next set-piece, though, Warriors disrupted Irish ball again and Cracknell hacked into the 22 where Ojo skewed a hurried clearance into touch.

Incisive back play via Jonny Arr and King saw Latham grubber the ball to the corner where John Rudd dithered and touched the ball out of play. Warriors won the line-out and laid seige to the visitors’ line. Several collapses resulted in a penalty to Worcester, which Walker slotted to herald the half-time whistle.

After the break, Welsh referee Bodilly penalised Irish for coming up too quickly at a line-out — an offence routinely ignored by Guinness Premiership officials — and the penalty was then moved on 10 metres for some back-chat.

Lamb continued to remonstrate and was sent to the bin, much to the amusement of the home crowd, and Walker slotted the resulting penalty. Shortly after, Exiles prop Dan Murphy was penalised for not binding and Walker continued his excellent kicking form with his fourth penalty from four attempts.

Lamb didn’t rejoin the action as, when his time in the bin was up, former Worcester man Jamie Lennard came on as his replacement and Hewat took over the kicking duties, striking home a penalty to make it 19-9.

Replacement nine Peter Richards seemed to make a mistake with every touch and his box kick directly out of play gave Warriors a line-out on the visitors’ 22. Quick ball off the top saw Matt Jones release Rasmussen, who in turn found Latham. The ball went quickly to Rico Gear, on for Garvey, but he was bundled into touch as he went for the line.

As the second-half progressed, the game degenerated as a spectacle, but the Warriors pack had done enough to ensure Worcester ended their LV= Cup campaign on a high.