HEAD coach Carl Hogg says he has a “much clearer plan” for Worcester Warriors after seeing his side thrash Hartpury 55-21 in their pre-season opener.

Dean Hammond was the pick of the scorers with a second-half hat-trick in a nine-try victory over the Championship outfit at Sixways.

Josh Adams and Matti Williams got braces while summer signings Pierce Phillips and Tom Howe scored tries on their debuts.

Hogg said he was pleased with Warriors’ “endeavour” and “work-rate” but admitted the friendly highlighted areas for improvement.

“It was great to get that first outing,” he said.

“Hartpury were very physical but as time told we got on top of them.

“There were some really good things out there. Our endeavour was really high and our work-rate as well but there are obviously one or two bits we need to put right going forward.

“The first game is always difficult because you work for a month in pre-season and then you get to a situation where you see what it looks like on the field.

“So after Saturday we have got a much clearer plan of the way forward come Moseley on Friday and Munster the week after.”

Adams took just four minutes to get on the scoresheet as he was on the end of a well-worked move.

David Denton was one of a number of players making his first appearance for Warriors but was forced off after suffering an early blow.

Luke Baldwin also sustained an arm injury but Warriors opened up a 12-0 lead on 26 minutes when Adams superbly latched onto Jackson Willison’s kick to score his second and Tom Heathcote converted.

Hartpury were proving to be no push-overs though as they fronted up well, especially in the set-piece and in defence.

They also got a try on the board on the half-hour mark when Ed Sheldon dotted down in the corner and Jacob Perry added the extras.

But Worcester gave themselves a 19-7 advantage at the break after Heathcote converted a try scored from close range by lock Phillips.

Hartpury put pressure on Warriors who also lost Simon Kerrod through injury moments before the interval and they received a boost at the start of the second period.

Elias Caven gathered Will Butler’s loose pass before running almost the length of the field to touch down and leave a simple conversion for James Williams to dispatch.

Director of rugby Gary Gold decided to field a different side for the second half and it did not take long before they started to pull clear of their opponents.

Joe Taufete’e, playing at loosehead prop, and Butler combined to set up Matti Williams for an easy score under the posts before Hammond crossed twice in as many minutes.

Sam Olver, who created Hammond’s second with a well-weighted kick, converted one of them as Warriors led 38-14 on 58 minutes.

Hooker Matti Williams was struggling to find his target at the line-out but was clinical when he got a sniff of the try-line as he went over for the second time following a driving maul.

Despite the deficit Hartpury kept asking the hosts questions and after several missed opportunities they got their reward as James Williams converted his own try.

But Warriors finished with a flourish as Howe strolled home after being teed up by Hammond who then completed his hat-trick at the death.

Warriors, first half XV: Howard; Hearle, Olivier, Willison, Adams; Heathcote, Baldwin (Arr 13); Bower, Singleton, Kerrod (Alo 39), Barry (Clegg 28-32), Phillips, Denton (Dodd 5), Lewis, van Velze (c); second half XV: Shillcock; Howe, Heem, Butler, Hammond; Olver, Arr (Stringer 48); Taufete'e, Williams, Alo, O'Callaghan (c), Clegg (Scotland-Williamson 62), Taylor, Potgieter (Dodd 61 [Kitchener 73]), Cox.

Attendance: 4,851.

RUN OF PLAY

5-0: Adams try, 3mins.

10-0: Adams try, 25 mins.

12-0: Heathcote conversion, 26 mins.

12-5: Sheldon try, 30 mins.

12-7: Perry conversion, 31 mins.

17-7: Phillips try, 35 mins.

19-7: Heathcote conversion, 36 mins.

Half-time: Worcester Warriors 19-7 Hartpury.

19-12: Caven try, 43 mins.

19-14: Williams conversion, 44 mins.

24-14: Williams try, 49 mins.

26-14: Olver conversion, 50 mins.

31-14: Hammond try, 55 mins.

36-14: Hammond try, 57 mins.

38-14: Olver conversion, 58 mins.

43-14: Williams try, 65 mins.

45-14: Olver conversion, 66 mins.

45-19: Williams try, 75 mins.

45-21: Williams conversion, 76 mins.

50-21: Howe try, 77 mins.

55-21: Hammond try, 80 mins.

Full-time: Worcester Warriors 55-21 Hartpury