CAPTAIN Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier was singing in the rain as Worcester Warriors were crowned British and Irish Cup champions for the first time.

Warriors delivered a clinical performance at Doncaster Knights just three months after the core of the squad had been blown away by Saracens Storm in the final of the Aviva A-League.

If that wet January night at Sixways had been a wash-out for Worcester supporters, most of the travelling army on the open terrace at Castle Park wouldn’t have minded being soaked watching Friday’s outstanding display.

Four tries in a dominant first-half put Warriors 29-0 ahead at the interval and made sure there was never any likelihood of a cup shock.

Backs coach Sam Vesty was showered with a bucket of ice in the post-match celebrations and some Worcester players took their children onto the winners’ podium as the vocal Warriors supporters cheered their heroes.

It was the first trophy of Dean Ryan’s era at Sixways and he beamed with delight and embraced some of the squad in the dying moments of the final.

Warriors’ main aim this season is to clinch promotion to the Premiership but the fringe players who have shone in Worcester’s British and Irish Cup campaign are keeping the first team on their toes.

Captain Bruzulier said: “It’s amazing for the boys, especially after the disappointment of the A-League final.

“We learned from that defeat, particularly from the first 20 minutes against Saracens.”

This was the third time Worcester had beaten Knights this term and it was the most impressive performance of them all.

Warriors overpowered their hosts in the first-half, taking a grip from the early stages as Ben Howard’s line breaks set the tone.

Tiff Eden produced a fine performance and kicked 15 points, but Worcester’s forward power, with Ofa Fainga’anuku, Dan George and Joe Rees all outstanding, also impressed.

James Percival, Dan Sanderson, Matt Cox, Mat Gilbert and Richard de Carpentier also worked tirelessly in the heavy conditions.

Warriors’ scrum carried too much weight for Doncaster and resulted in hooker Ben Hunter being shown a yellow card.

Three tries in the opening 19 minutes sent Warriors on their way to victory Dean Hammond capped Warriors’ fine start, powering over the line for the first try.

Eden added the conversion but was off target with a 30-metre penalty before Alex Grove dived on to a loose ball for Warriors’ second converted try.

Worcester grabbed a third touchdown when Bruzulier, a prop in his younger days, got on the end of a driving maul.

Eden then landed a penalty before Worcester’s forward power told again. Percival and Cox were denied close to the line and de Carpentier slipped a pass to George, who dived over. Eden made no mistake with the conversion.

The hosts were rewarded for a spirited second-half when Hunter was driven over from a line-out. However, referee Andy Brace then stopped Dougie Flockhart’s conversion attempt after ruling the player had taken too long.

Warriors were reduced to 14 men when Cox was shown a yellow card but Eden kept the scoreboard ticking over with two penalties.

Hooker George was sin-binned before Charlie Mulchrone capped Worcester’s night with a superb try-saving tackle on Tyson Lewis.