4:50pm Sunday 3rd January 2010
By Tom Guest
WORCESTER Warriors were unable to make it four consecutive wins over local rivals Gloucester as replacement second row Dave Attwood touched down for a score-levelling try with 14 seconds left of the Guinness Premiership clash at Kingsholm.
Fellow replacement Carlos Spencer missed the touchline conversion to leave the game tied at 13-13 as the Sixways side secured a fourth draw in their last five league outings.
It would have been harsh on Worcester if Spencer had stolen the victory with the final kick of the game as Mike Ruddock’s men put in a valiant performance.
Warriors even ended their try drought, which had seen them go more than seven hours without scoring from open play, as Rico Gear and Jonny Arr both crossed the whitewash, while former Gloucester back Willie Walker added a penalty.
It took hardly any time for former Kingsholm hooker Chris Fortey to make his mark, scrapping with opposite number Scott Lawson at the game’s first scrum, from which Gloucester were awarded a penalty.
Welsh fly-half Nicky Robinson kicked to touch and the hosts launched a series of drives through the strong-running duo of Lesley Vainikolo and Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu before Worcester transgressed at a ruck.
However, Robinson’s effort from just beside the posts was terrible and sliced well wide.
Warriors won a put-in just outside their 22 after Gloucester knocked-on but, with his forwards retreating at a rate of knots, Jonny Arr gifted the hosts the opening score by passing directly into Akapusi Qera’s hands, giving the openside flanker a clear run to the line. Robinson again shanked his effort wide.
With Fortey brought into the starting XV in a bid to strengthen the line-out, Mike Ruddock would have been fuming at the hooker’s boomerang-like first throw-in.
Despite a faltering start to the match, the Warriors pack began to gain the upper hand and some fierce counter-rucking forced scrum-half Dave Lewis to dither and the visitors pounced to steal the ball.
Arr found Alex Grove and his kick set up a foot race between Rico Gear and Lesley Vainikolo with the Worcester man getting to the ball first but putting too much power behind his kick.
Worcester were on the scoreboard soon after when former Gloucester stand-off Willie Walker slotted a simple kick after the hosts killed the ball.
The hosts were straight back on the attack, though, with Robinson easily evading Craig Gillies’ weak tackle and off-loading to Qera.
A try looked certain but Latham, who had only just recovered following lengthy treatment to a knee injury, got back to tackle and hold up the flanker before Greg Rawlinson swooped to steal the ball.
Arr’s attempted clearance was then charged down, but Kai Horstmann reacted fastest to dive on the loose ball before Latham cleared.
As the half wore on, Worcester began to play with more freedom and forced Gloucester to defend for their lives.
From a penalty, Latham kicked to the corner instead of Willie Walker having a shot at goal with a kickable chance. The gamble paid off handsomely, however, with safely-secured line-out ball being driven to the home line before Arr went down the shortside to Latham, who deftly found Gear to scoot over for his first Guinness Premiership score since May 2008.
In a wonderful flowing move, Tom Wood made a break before finding Miles Benjamin in support and the winger passed sharply inside to Latham. The Aussie ace then linked with Wood who ignored the supporting Arr to step inside his man before finally being hauled down. Latham’s intelligent grubber kick was then carried over his own line by the retreating Olly Morgan.
From the five-metre scrum, the Worcester forwards put a real stranglehold on their opposite eight with props Adam Black and Olivier Sourgens to the fore. The visiting pack forced successive penalties — opting for another scrum both times — before, at the third attempt, Arr spotted a gap down the blindside and dived over in the corner. Walker slid his conversion attempt across the face of the posts.
Gloucester came out after the break looking determined to make amends for a poor first period and, when Worcester were penalised for not rolling away, Robinson finally found his radar to add three points.
The impressive Sanderson made in-roads into home territory before Walker dropped into the pocket, but the fly-half’s drop-goal effort was short of the target.
After another hopelessly wayward Robinson penalty, Gloucester began to pile on the pressure.
Then came a pivotal moment when powerful work by Greg Rawlinson, Wood and replacement Matt Mullan won a penalty that would have given Worcester an eight-point lead. However, Walker missed the target and Gloucester breathed a sigh of relief.
Vainikolo threatened again before replacement stand-off Carlos Spencer spotted Morgan in space and went for a cross kick, but the ball was just too strong.
However, Gloucester kept their cool and went through the phases to manufacture an overlap which saw Attwood pop up on the overlap to tie the game with a try in the corner.
It would have been cruel for Worcester to have lost after such a battling display, so justice was done when Spencer’s conversion from the final kick of the match drifted wide.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/trade_directory/