Disappointing defeat for strong Warriors 'A' team (From Worcester News)

Disappointing defeat for strong Warriors 'A' team

11:24am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(1)

BACK row Netani Talei dived over for a late comeback try as Worcester Warriors ‘A’ slipped to a narrow 25-23 defeat to Northampton Wanderers at Sixways.

Talei, who has been out of action since November with a shoulder injury, provided a power packed 20-minute cameo full of big ball-carrying and strong running.

The Fijian even crashed in for a last minute try to crown an encouraging display, but could not stop Warriors ‘A’ falling to defeat in the Northern Conference fixture.

Worcester had taken a strong 13-0 lead after an impressive opening quarter and a well-worked try from wing Rico Gear.

But with the experienced fly-half Barry Everitt kicking points at every opportunity, Wanderers slowly fought their way back into the game before a quick-fire brace from Will Dunkley saw them take the lead.

A late yellow card to Marcel Garvey summed up the second-half for Warriors before a surge from Talei produced a late positive from the encounter.

Andy Short burst through tackles before the forwards took play on and broke the defensive line on two occasions before Wanderers failed to roll away in the tackle and Matthew Jones slotted the opening points of the night.

Worcester's pack impressed as they rotated a scrum to win ball back and the play flashed down the line to Garvey who tore past two men before being taken down just short of the line. Wanderers, though, had strayed offside and Jones slotted the three points.

Quick work on the floor from the re-start saw Worcester turn the ball over and in a flash the ball found Gear who handed off one man and then outpaced the cover to scorch over. Jones added the difficult conversion for a 13-0 lead.

Northampton nearly scored just before the break when Sam Collins tackled MacRae as he looked to hack a grubber clear and the Wanderers battled over the line only to be held up. The resulting scrums saw both teams trade possession for wheeling around before visiting skipper Mark Hopley touched down as the Northampton pack rumbled over. Everitt added the extras to cut the lead to 13-7 at the break.

Everitt ate into the lead furthermore just two minutes after the break, when Warriors failed to roll away in the tackle.

Jones put Worcester back on the front foot with a neat kick down the wing that saw Gear force Christian Lewis-Prat into touch. But a knock on and then indiscipline allowed Everitt another kick at goal that just drifted left of the uprights before he made amends minutes later to draw the sides level.

Joe Carlisle replaced MacRae and had an immediate impact as he kicked and chased to win a penalty for offside that Jones slotted for a three-point advantage.

Northampton, though, continued to run and scored a well-worked try as Darren Morris off-loaded and found Dunkley to touch down as Wanderers took the lead for the first time in the game. Dunkley then completed an impressive move to cross the whitewash for a 25-16 lead.

Worcester's end to the night saw Garvey yellow-carded for holding on before Jones and Carlisle broke from deep as Warriors hunted a consolation score.

Collins made a superb break from deep and was stopped just short before picking himself up and feeding Talei to crash over from close range for the final act of the match.