Worcester Warriors 6 Northampton Saints 26 (From Worcester News)

Worcester Warriors 6 Northampton Saints 26

5:40pm Sunday 27th December 2009 in

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A GIANT inflatable dome over the Sixways pitch may have enabled this game to beat the frozen weather, but sizzling Northampton Saints burst Worcester Warriors’ bubble with a three-try second-half salvo.

The hosts started sluggishly with fly-half Stephen Myler booting Saints into a 9-0 lead as they dominated the early battle of the breakdown.

Willie Walker replied with six points before the interval as Mike Ruddock’s men fought their way back into the game, but wasted try-scoring opportunities proved costly.

Worcester then visibly wilted under Northampton’s second-half onslaught, which was fired by on-song England full-back Ben Foden, who scored one try and set up another for Chris Ashton, before Phil Dowson put the seal on a convincing victory.

Mike Ruddock was left to rue his side’s lack of a cutting edge as they took the game to Northampton, playing with plenty of ambition and getting the ball wide at most opportunities.

However, a combination of nervous finishing and stout Saints defence meant Worcester could not add to the paltry nine tries they have managed in the league so far this season — the joint lowest tally with Leeds, who have a game in hand.

England Saxon Myler opened the scoring for the visitors with a regulation penalty in front of the posts after Pat Sanderson had gone in at the side while trying to delay an early period of pressure.

Warriors hit back, though, with some quick hands featuring Chris Latham, Miles Ben-jamin, Sammy Tuitupou and Alex Grove, but street-wise Saints stole possession back at the breakdown.

Benjamin was then inches away from Latham’s clever through-kick, but Saints slid back and put the ball into touch.

The visitors took control and Tom Wood was penalised for not rolling away and Myler doubled Saints’ lead.

Alex Grove made a pacy break down the left flank, but his lofted pass was picked off by Ashton, who booted the ball in behind Worcester. Latham found Tuitupou as the hosts looked to run the ball back, but the former All Black’s kick was blocked.

As Saints pressed the Worcester goal-line once again, referee Rob Debney, who was a late replacement for Chris White, lost patience with the hosts’ last-ditch defending and sent lock Craig Gillies to the bin for tackling his man out the ball. Myler maintained his 100 per cent record.

From the re-start, Courtney Lawes handed Warriors a fine scoring opportunity by catching the ball and throwing it over both Myler and the dead-ball line.

Warriors’ fly-half Walker opened 14-man Worcester’s account in the 29th minute after Saints had gone over the top at a ruck.

Former Sixways academy hooker Dylan Hartley, now Saints’ skipper, gathered Myler’s cute re-start, but was clattered by Tui-tupou and spilt the ball. Rico Gear pounced on the loose ball and showed great pace on a 45-metre burst, before being halted.

Quick ball was recycled wide, but Benjamin was just held up short of the line.

Despite still being a man light, the hosts showed great ambition, but lacked the clinical edge needed at this level and Tuitupou’s slashing break set up another platform on the Saints’ line, which the visitors again repelled.

Latham excellently fielded a high ball at pace and won a penalty as Saints were in front of the kicker, but the legendary Aussie was too greedy with his penalty which landed the wrong side of the corner flag.

However, Worcester turned the ball over and were awarded another penalty as scrambling Saints went off-side. Walker’s well-struck effort made it 9-6 with the last kick of the half.

The second-half began with both sides’ line-outs faltering, but Worcester maintained their endeavour from the latter stages of the second-half.

But it was Saints who grabbed the initiative when Jonny Arr’s box-kick bounced in space, but Benjamin knocked on and full-back Foden pounced. The England man slashed through the Warriors rearguard and found Ashton on his shoulder to touch down. Myler added the extras.

Dale Rasmussen took the spot of the hard-working Tuitupou with 10 minutes left, to earn his 100th Premiership appearance, but it was Saints who had the final word as Foden dotted down, after showing strength in the tackle, before Gear was sin-binned for a high tackle and Dowson completed the misery.