Moseley 7 Worcester 42

TONY Yapp ended another season at Worcester in the same position he has occupied for much of his Sixways career -- amid uncertainty.

The fly half walked off the Bournbrook pitch, after Worcester had outclassed Moseley 42-7, still with his future in doubt despite another near flawless display.

Yapp has been a coach's dream this season, completely reliable, never letting the team down.

The situation remains, however, that he still has little idea where he will be playing his rugby next year with Worcester finalising their playing staff for the next promotion push.

On Saturday, as Worcester finished their National One season in runners up position once again, Yapp put in another of his now countless solid performances and was at the very heart of some of the best moves.

Indeed, he was on hand to finish off probably the move of the season early in the second half as Worcester ruthlessly ripped a rather sorry looking Moseley apart.

Yapp touched down after Duncan Roke had made a quite brilliant catch on his own five-metre line before embarking on a run and move which bordered on the sublime. Chris Garrard, Gary Trueman and Alistair Murdoch were all involved in stunning, flowing interplay which ended with Yapp's touchdown. It was a bewilderingly swift passage of play and one which embodied the threat they possess on dry ground with their pacy backs. The true test next season will again be in the winter months, a period which ultimately cost Worcester this time around.

The game, though, was never a true contest in the university grounds especially after Tony Windo -- another player whose future remains in doubt -- had crashed over in the eighth minute. Yapp coolly slotted over the conversion and Worcester were on their way.

Ben Hinshelwood then proved, once again, how deceptively strong he can be when he held off his man for 20 metres before surging into the corner. Yapp added a fine conversion to extend the advantage. Hinshelwood was involved in the next try as his quick pass allowed Garrard to suck in the defence before Trueman strolled in for a well-worked score which Yapp duly converted.

The irrepressible Roke then pounced for his customary try, again converted by Yapp, before the comedy moment of the match. To be fair to the full-back, he made the chance for himself, bursting through the whole midfield to give himself a good 10-metre start on any other Moseley player.

It was a certain try, he just had to keep going. However, he pulled up a little too soon and, to his horror, was caught by a Moseley tackle which denied him the score. The smiles from the rest of the Worcester players said it all. Mr Roke was about to be in for some serious mickey taking back in the dressing room.

A score of 28-0, however, was a fine effort when you consider that this game was lost last season in National One. And after Yapp's converted score soon after the break, substitute Chris Yates sliced his way through Moseley's powder puff defence before Yapp kept his 100 per cent record intact with the extra points.

The only sour notes for Worcester came with Moseley's late score and Alejandro Moreno's yellow card after an off the ball incident.

The Argentinian-cum Italian, however, compounded the offence by then giving fellow felon Duncan White the finger all the way to the touchline in a distasteful moment.

It evoked memories of his tantrum at Coventry and gave perhaps an insight into just why he looks certain to leave Sixways for a continental club next month.

But for that moment, Worcester were absolutely professional throughout the day.

Yes there were many players on show whose contracts were already settled for next season. But there were the likes of Yapp, Windo and Chris Hall who are still unsure. And people such as Alistair Murdoch and Dave Sims who know they are off. Ricky Pellow was another who was totally professional and it was a welcome reminder of the worth of such characters in the game.

Yapp remains the most intriguing conundrum, however. At the end of the game he was as bright as ever, reinforcing his commitment for the club, the coaches John Brain and Andy Keast and chairman Cecil Duckworth.

You just wonder what else he has to do to win a contract?

Worcester: Roke 7, Murdoch 7, Hinshelwood 8, Trueman 6, Garrard 7, YAPP 9, Smith 8; Windo 8, Hall 7, Lyman 8, Morgan 7, Zaltzman 6, Evans 7, Nias 6, Jenner 6.

Replacements: Pellow 7 (Smith 40), Sims 7 (Zaltzman 43), Yates 7 (Trueman 45), Mason 7 (Evans 58), Ross 6 (Hall 60), Higgins 6 (Roke 63), Moreno 3 (Lyman 64).

Man of the match: TONY YAPP -- Never put a foot wrong all day.