FULL-TIME - Bristol 23-42 Worcester Warriors (From Worcester News)

FULL-TIME - Bristol 23-42 Worcester Warriors

1:32pm Sunday 2nd January 2011 in Warriors By Tom Guest, @tomguestWN #WENsport

• Click here for the very latest Worcester Warriors match updates and news - Tom Guest on Twitter.

FULL-TIME...

WARRIORS move 12 points clear at the top of the table after a bonus-point win at Bristol.

With Bedford losing at Cornish Pirates and Worcester picking up maximum points at the Memorial Stadium, the Sixways outfit have strengthened their grip on the Championship table.

Richard Hill's men recovered from a shaky start to outclass Bristol with tries from Andy Goode (2), Alex Crockett, Miles Benjamin and Pat Sanderson.

Man-of-the-match Goode also kicked 17 points for an impressive personal haul of 27.

See tomorrow's Worcester News for a full match report, reaction, stats and pictures.

HALF-TIME...

Warriors will be happy to be level at the break after trailing 20-7 at one stage.

Bristol came flying out of the blocks and scored a second-minute try through number eight Dan Montagu.

Andy Goode replied with a well-taken try after he hacked a loose ball on from half-way before showing good skills to control the ball and touch down.

However, Bristol scored again when James Merriman burst clear, before fly-half Adrian Jarvis stretched the lead with a brace of penalties.

Warriors woke up then, though, and a converted try from Alex Crockett and a Goode penalty levelled matters.

GOOD afternoon and welcome to the Memorial Stadium for the Worcester News' live coverage of today's Championship showdown between Bristol and Worcester Warriors (3pm).

Click on the link above for my minute-by-minute match updates via twitter.

Former All Black lock Greg Rawlinson returns to the squad, but has to make do with a place on the replacements’ bench.

The South Africa-born second row was a late withdrawal from the side that beat Moseley 45-7 last time out as he was struggling with a virus, but he now returns to replace Will Bowley in Richard Hill’s 22-man squad.

Graham Kitchener was drafted into the starting XV to replace Rawlinson and he continues in the number four jersey today.

Ex-Bristol duo Alex Crockett and Rob Higgitt join forces in midfield to face their former club, while Tom Arscott could also come up against his old team-mates after being named on the bench.

TEAM NEWS...

Warriors: Carlisle; Garvey, Crockett, Higgitt, Benjamin; Goode, Frost; A Black, Lutui, Tomaszczyk, Kitchener, Gillies, Best, Sanderson, Horstmann

Replacements: Fortey, Douglas, Rawlinson, Balding, Arr, Arscott, Rasmussen.

Bristol: Marsden; Elliott, Barnes, Fatialofa, Tovey; Jarvis, Bolt; Vunipola, Hayes, Thompson, Sambucetti, Winters, Grieve, Merriman, Montagu.

Replacements: Blaney, Irish, Crompton, Barry, Brandling-Harris, Shaw, Little, Adams, Watkins.