Worcester Warriors 23-24 Bath (From Worcester News)
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Worcester Warriors 23-24 Bath
5:38pm Saturday 1st September 2012 in Sport
By Tom Guest, @tomguestWN #WENsport
THERE was familiar heartache for Warriors supporters at Sixways this afternoon as Olly Barkley booted a last-kick-of-the-game penalty to snatch a 24-23 victory for Bath in this Aviva Premiership opener.
Worcester threw away several winning positions at the end of games last season and it was a case of déjà vu today, but head coach Richard Hill’s side were a vastly-improved team to the one that took the field last term.
Ultimately, a crazy spell in the opening 12 minutes of the second-half when Worcester conceded six penalties without reply saw Bath erase the 15-6 half-time deficit and steal the momentum.
Warriors thought they’d won it after getting their noses back in front through James Percival’s try, before Andy Goode made it 23-21 with 90 seconds to go.
However, young referee Luke Pearce penalised Worcester at the breakdown from the final play and Barkley made it eight kicks out of eight to win the game at the death.
Hill said: “Ultimately, we conceded the penalties that cost us the game. Other than that, Bath played exactly as we thought they would and I think our game-plan was executed very well.
“By and large, we dealt with their kicks very well and we were comfortably in the lead at half-time and we should have scored a try that would have really put them away.
“However, in that crazy spell after half-time when we conceded six penalties to nil and that brought Bath right back into it at 15-15.
“That was the disappointing part, as well as a lack of composure right at the end. All we had to do was to take the restart, but there was a little bit of over-anxiousness as to who was going to take it and Andy Goode ended up kicking it when we needed to keep it for a minute, before putting it off the park.
“The the touch judge gave a call of in at the side on the back foot and that killed us. It was a game we should have won and we lost it ourselves.”
Comments(5)
deano220
says...
7:38pm Sun 2 Sep 12
I attended the pre season supporters evening, which was excellent, where Hilly told us exactly what Bath would do, he got it word perfect, so why then did we make them look SO good. Bath were not a good side, God help us if they were, and we knew the battle plan ....... and yet we still lost, amazing.
Like i said i was right behind Mr Hill, I am now taking a large step to one side until i see a distinct change in the scorline, it will not be long i fear before Mr Hill has little or no support. I will keep the faith but may reserve my 16th man position.
deano220
says...
7:38pm Sun 2 Sep 12
I attended the pre season supporters evening, which was excellent, where Hilly told us exactly what Bath would do, he got it word perfect, so why then did we make them look SO good. Bath were not a good side, God help us if they were, and we knew the battle plan ....... and yet we still lost, amazing.
Like i said i was right behind Mr Hill, I am now taking a large step to one side until i see a distinct change in the scorline, it will not be long i fear before Mr Hill has little or no support. I will keep the faith but may reserve my 16th man position.
dulon
says...
10:08am Mon 3 Sep 12
This is a management issue .
I will not be buying a season ticket this year but will attend when my confidence is higher. I do not feel the need to subject myself to this torture voluntarily and pay for the privilege . I can do lots of other things in my free time that gives me pleasure after a week at the coalface !
zx12r
says...
9:23pm Mon 3 Sep 12
Not for nothing did every national newspaper bar none pick Worcester to finish 11th.
Thank god for London Welsh.
zx12r says...
1:13pm Sun 2 Sep 12