Saturday, November 16, 2002

SO at long last the sparring is over. Worcester sent Wakefield back to ringside as the heavyweights of National One began to focus on Saturday's showdown at Millmoor.

Wakefield arrived at Sixways with the ambition of damage limitation and were on the ropes from the very first whistle.

They were a pale shadow of the attack-minded side we have come to know down the years and perhaps gave an insight into the very clear divide between the haves and have not enoughs in this league.

It was sad to see such paltry aspiration and especially disappointing considering it was Wakefield stalwart Steve Townend's first return to Sixways since his sacking as assistant coach almost a year ago.

Wakefield infringed in every way possible and slowed the game down at the ruck, in open play and threw in a few cheap shots for good measure. Not the ideal preparation for Rotherham especially as Richard Bates, James Ogilvie-Bull, Gavin Pfister, Werner Swanepoel and Richard Nias all had to leave the field with various knocks, in Nias' case on a stretcher.

However, Worcester can be pleased that they came away from this encounter with six tries and five points, especially as they found the basics difficult in wet conditions. Handling errors and lineout problems were symptomatic of a disappointing first half display which must have had supporters wondering whether the players were already thinking of Rotherham.

The Warriors had begun the match in a typically high tempo but it wasn't until the 16th minute that they went ahead. New signing Tim Walsh missed out the centres with a pinpoint pass and the ever-willing Duncan Roke burst through to put Chris Garrard in for his first of the day. It was another example of just how devastating Roke can be at pace. The full back, no doubt, will be an integral player on Saturday.

Four minutes later and Swanepoel's delightful inside pass found prop Tony Windo for a slick try and the writing looked to be on the wall as Walsh converted. However, despite some nice cameos from Garrard, Roke and Walsh, the expected scores never came and Wakefield were just 12-0 down at the break.

Something had to change and Worcester became a touch more pragmatic in the second half, to good effect. Hooker Chris Pearson finished off a powerful driving maul seven minutes into the half and Walsh's extra points gave Worcester the start they wanted. Twelve minutes later and the all-important bonus point was secured when Walsh's lightning pace took him to the line for his third try in as many matches. The fly half's performance was perhaps not as dominant as a week earlier against Manchester but if you give him space, there is only one result -- and Wakefield found that to their cost.

With 15 minutes left, Garrard pounced on a defensive lapse to scorch through for his second try and, after Walsh's conversion, Roke helped himself to his 13th of the season to cap a good sparring session for Sixways club.

Worcester will waste little sleep on the performance. It was hardly classic stuff but at 5pm on Saturday night it was a case of job done and on to the real business against opposition with a little more punching power.

Worcester: NROKE 8; Ezulike 7, Officer 6, Ogilvie-Bull 6, Garrard 7, Walsh 7, Swanepoel 7; Windo 7, Pearson 6, Olver 6, Gabey 7, Gillies 7, Bates 6, Pfister 7, Jenner 7.

Replacements: Richardson (Swanepoel 73), Chalmers, Southwell 6 (Ogilvie-Bull 40), Hall 6 (Pearson 54), Zaltzman 6 (Nias 62), Nias 6 (Bates 14).

Man of the match: Duncan Roke -- another stirring performance from Worcester's top scorer.