6:40pm Sunday 21st February 2010
MIKE Ruddock’s assurances that Worcester Warriors are only a win or two away from the security of mid-table seem rather fanciful for a team who have managed just two in the Guinness Premiership this term.
With bottom side Leeds having won 19-10 at Sale Sharks on Friday night to close the gap to just a solitary point on the Sixways outfit, who are winless in the league in almost five months, the Warriors director of rugby must face up to the fact that his side are facing a bitter scrap for their top-flight survival.
If Worcester are to achieve these much-vaunted wins to pull clear of danger, then it is of paramount importance that they eradicate their frustrating habit of shooting themselves in the foot.
So many times this year Warriors have made bright starts to games, only to concede points within minutes of taking the lead and — such is the dearth of confidence on the field — frequently look a beaten side as soon as opponents get their noses in front.
Saturday’s 36-13 defeat to Bath at The Rec was a fine example of this. Ruddock had called for improved discipline from his troops after letting a lead slip against Saracens at Wembley the week before, so he must have been pulling his hair out as he watched Tom Wood get himself yellow-carded, Chris Latham do likewise, before Wood’s coup de grace — a retalitory elbow on lock Peter Short — which earnt him a red card.
The Northampton-bound flanker’s moment of madness left his team-mates more than 20 minutes a man down.
Although the manner of this defeat will leave Worcester’s players — not to mention their long-suffering fans — at their lowest ebb of the season, it could have been so different after an impressive opening.
A third penalty to the visitors, this time for former England full-back Nick Abendanon not releasing the ball when isolated and under pressure from Pennell and Latham, was kicked to the corner, despite being in range of the posts.
The gamble paid off. sSveral phases saw Pat Sanderson go close, before the ball went out to Walker, who wriggled his way over and then added the extra two points.
Bath came back strongly, by setting up camp in the Worcester 22 and winning a succession of penalty-advantages. When the play was stopped, James kicked to the corner and, following some hard yards by the pack, the ball was fired out wide, where Maddock was on hand to dive over beside the flag. Inside-centre Ryan Davis was narrowly wide with the conversion attempt.
The Warriors front-row then played a huge part in edging their side further ahead with a big shunt on a Bath put-in forcing a penalty for the visitors, which Walker slotted.
A moment of Maddock magic then levelled the scores on the half-hour mark, bursting through Jonny Arr’s tackle to touch down under the posts.
Davis fired his side into the lead with the extra points, before adding three more shortly after with a penalty.
The penalties began to mount against Worcester as the half edged to its end and James kicked one such example into the 22 after Warriors were guilty of not releasing on half-way. From the resulting line-out, Tom Wood’s cycnical intervention at the ruck was met with a yellow card.
Despite still being a man down, Worcester began the second-half brightly.
Skipper Sanderson stole the ball off Abendanon as the Bath man looked to attack broken field and the ball went wide to Tuitu-pou, whose grubber kick released Pennell.
The bounce didn’t favour the winger though, so he had to check his run and was hauled down short of the line.
Fast Bath hands saw Abendanon deftly flick the ball to the marauding Maddock, who chipped in behind Latham. The Aussie stood his ground, took out Maddock and, despite his protestations, was binned for his trouble, while Davis added three more points to the punishment.
Walker cut the deficit back to five points with a penalty for Bath not rolling away, before Worcester looked set to pull themselves right back into it, winning a penalty deep in Bath territory.
However, the touch judge spotted Wood using the elbow, the flanker was shown a second yellow card and the penalty reversed. More excellent off-loading rugby took Bath up to the Worcester line and the 13 men could not hold out as Claassens sniped over, before Davis added the extras.
Latham returned to the field, but was promptly steam-rollered by powerhouse wing Matt Banahan, who charged over in the corner for the bonus-point score, which was expertly improved by Davis.
Jonny Fa'amatuainu burrowed over for the fifth score, but Davis couldn't add the extras.
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