Saturday, November 15, 2003

I HESITATE to say it but Worcester actually look the real deal.

It's been said a few too many times before but, at Brickfields on Saturday, they showed every ingredient needed for genuine title contenders.

We knew they had the pace. The backs have blitzed most teams in this division. We knew they had the quality. But the steel? It's been questioned more than once over the past few years.

Well they came through a stern test against Plymouth with flying colours, matching Albion's physicality with their own brute strength, nous around the tackle area and set piece. It was an outstanding display of a well thought out game plan executed with real composure. A victory not just numerically but tactically as they went five points clear at the top of National One.

That said, it wasn't quite a complete performance. Two tries for the home side saw to that but the fact that Worcester controlled proceedings for much of the game in Devon represented a new chapter. It underlined a fresh ability to impose the game-plan on their hosts despite the size and physicality of the opposition pack. Worcester were rarely on the back foot.

An unanswered 21-point haul in the second half saw the Warriors home. Tries for Daren O'Leary and Drew Hickey knocked the stuffing out of Plymouth before Tommy Hayes' conversion and two penalties landed the knockout blows. James Brown added a late penalty himself to add to Albion's woes.

Earlier, Worcester had raced into a 19-3 first half lead following a catch and drive move finished by the ever reliable Gavin Pfister. O'Leary showed some blistering pace to beat his man on the right and run in the second try before Brown's miss-out pass found Ben Hinshelwood and he put in Gary Trueman who eventually got to the line courtesy of Wes Davies' assist. Hayes converted both tries but Plymouth stayed in touch thanks to Tom Barlow's penalty and tries from Lee Robinson and Daniel Thomas. Barlow added the extra points on both occasions but Worcester kept a five-point half time buffer at 22-17 after Brown's drop goal.

Despite some stunning handling and execution, however, the victory had its origins fairly and squarely with the pack. First to the breakdown, devastating around the tackle area and more than a match for Albion in the scrum and lineout, they gave the backs all the ammunition needed to gun down their hosts.

All of a sudden, Worcester's forwards are giving the backs a run for their money and, if they can continue in this vein, promotion should be a mere formality come April. False dawns have become synonymous with Sixways but finally, they've found the right balance. Now it is all about nerve.

Worcester: Hinshelwood 7; O'Leary 7, Hayes 8, Trueman 8, Davies 7; Brown 7, Powell 7; Windo 8, Daly 8, Lyman 8, Gabey 8, Gillies 8, Evans 8, LPFISTER 9, Hickey 8.

Replacements: Swanepoel 6 (Powell 59), Garrard 6 (Davies 62), Officer (Hayes 74), Clunis, Fortey 6 (Windo 66), Zaltzman, Bates 6 (C Evans 59).

Man of the match: Gavin Pfister - could have been anyone from eight but the South African was energy personified around the Brickfields park.