By Chris Chaplin
December 18 2002

Barely in control of my emotions after a glut of tries in Tigers' dismantling of Beziers last Saturday I am now charged with reviewing the domestic matter of the Worcester Warriors visit to Welford Road this coming Saturday. Mr Duckworth's Worcester seem to be destined for the role of National League One's eternal Cinderella, always so near to promotion and yet so far. Sadly in these days of double dealing they cannot know just how near or far they really are with the Premiership Mandarins seemingly wishing to change the rules at will to protect their investments. So much for sport.

True Cecil Duckworth has used his combination boiler fortune to buy players but Worcester have been judicious in their expenditure and almost uniquely have also invested heavily in the infrastructure of the club, with Sixways now a fine, fine venue. Closer even to the M5 than the MadStad is to the M4, but if they get promoted they'll have to get some decent parking if that part of Worcestershire is not to grind to a halt on match days with a real cash bonanza for the boys in blue from West Mercia.

With John Brain as DoR they've got a good 'un in the Deano mould, a no nonsense rugby man ably supported by the talented Andy Keast. These two, in my view, must take a very large share of the credit for Gloucester's emergence this season. John Brain, I believe and in spite of stories to the contrary, was prematurely driven from Kingsholm by the arrival of the French Foreign Legion under Phillipe St Andre and did much to create the side you see today and it was not until Keast's all to short a stay that the Glaws backs became a unit. So in these two Worcester have a couple of diamonds and their influence is plain to see in the way the Warriors are playing this season.

While adrift of Rotherham at the top of National One (again) it is only by three points with half of the season remaining and they have yet to entertain the Millmoor crew at Sixways. The gap between these two and the rest of the league is already 13 points. Something of an SPL Celtic/Rangers scenario and as in that situation without promotion as the ultimate prize what's the point of it all?

Warriors have had a bit of a wobble of late, getting a real going over in the second half up in South Yorkshire a few weeks ago when they visited the lair of their arch and only real rivals.

They then had the narrowest of squeaks against third division minnows Halifax when they squeezed home by a single point, counting themselves lucky at that, with Halifax missing a penalty in injury time as well as several others during the match and thereby losing their own two year unbeaten home record.

Since then Warriors have handed out a right old 67-3 thumping to bottom of the table Rugby Lions, which doesn't tell us too much. However their most recent 37-17 victory over the useful Birmingham/Solihull indicates that the wheels have been bolted back on to the Warrior's chariot. Although they didn't have it their own way up front.

Their squad has plenty of talent and includes a goodly number of ex Tigers.

In the pack the front row is a good blend with the very experienced ex England A Prop Adrian Olver partnering Tony Windo, an ex-Gloucester stalwart who not only has the T Shirt but also made it. These two masters of the dark arts support young Chris Hall, also ex-Gloucester and England U21, still young and a bit light but one for the future.

At Lock the combination is usually ex-Llanelli and Cardiff Martin Morgan, who is a very adept ball stealer in the line out and a player typical of the new mobile locks that we see nowadays, paired with either Zaltzman or Mark Gabey, although they do have the excellent Craig Gillies in the wings who impressed me when I saw him play down at Kingsholm during his loan period at Glaws.. Personally though I think the pack looks better balanced with Gabey at Flanker. I rated the Queensland Reds player during his time at Bath as 'one to watch' and was surprised when Bath released him.

In the back row I like to see Jim Jenner at 8, he's a smashing player and I can even forgive him for plying his trade at Falcons and Bristol before coming to rural Worcestershire. The triumvirate is completed by South African Richard Nias.

At 9 we have Werner Swanepoel and I'm sure we all remember his exploits during the 20 appearances he made for the Springboks. Since his arrival at Sixways he's given the backs a new lease of life with his incisiveness of word and deed and with ex Tiger John O'Reilly and Academy scrum half Richardson they have some decent cover too. But Mr Swanepoel can and does make it happen.

We now come to one of the mysteries, born out of my lack of knowledge no doubt, but why on earth don't Warriors start with Craig Chalmers at Fly-half? I know he's now reached the venerable age of 34 and has had his injury problems but with 60 caps for Scotland and Lions and Baa-Baas credits to his name I fail to see why they rarely start with him. I think Chalmers and Swanepoel would be a terrific half-back combination, but what do I know?

The #10 favoured to start seems to be one Tim Walsh who is also the first choice kicker when he's on although he does not seem an especially high percentage player in this regard, he also seems to be a little lateral in his play but on the occasions when Chalmers has come on at 10 and Walsh has moved to 12 the backs seem to get away much more quickly and productively.

At 13 is newly capped Scot., Ben Hinshelwood who folks around Worcester are excited about and he certainly seems useful enough.

The back three of our very own Nnamdi Ezulike, Aussie Sevens and Queensland Red winger Chris Garrard and Duncan Roke are a real handful and Tigers won't need to give them too much ball on Saturday. Roke is a quick, tricky character and loves to come into the line with great effect, while Garrard is a big, fast, strong modern winger and we all know about Nnamdi!

So from a clutch of ex-Tigers to today's brood.

It's difficult not to sound hard to please and parsimonious after the resounding win over Beziers at Welford Road and victory in France the week before - but anyway!

I thought the pack played well, particularly given that we did not have a recognised open side and Balding and Deacon had outstanding games. Franck seems to be growing into his role at Tigers and had one of his best matches. The Johnson boys played to their usual high standard with Rowntree, West and of course our emerging Centre, one Darren Garforth, also having a good afternoon in the Leicester gloom and rain.

Tom Tierney had a decent game and did little wrong and Oz was........ well, better. There were still too many poor passes though with them going behind, in front, over and in one case under the intended recipient, surely Mr Healey's much trumpeted injury (is it groin or hamstring or what?) does not affect this aspect of his play. But as I say he was better, not as good as he could be at 9 or at 10 for that matter, but better.

Rod had a much improved game and at last looked to run into space rather than the man, mind you rarely have I seen so many missed tackles as I saw from Beziers in the second half.

Ollie had a few nice breaks but I felt was quieter than usual, played well but just a bit muted somehow. Fred was, well, Fred! It was wonderful to see him back to his old self. Leon certainly looks more at home on the wing but is at his absolute best when passing is not involved. When will we see Raynor? I was surprised to see Booth make an appearance rather than our new signing who thus far has seen 10 minutes of first team action at the MadStad. Perhaps this week.

Geordan was superb. Fast, clever, brave, unselfish. Yes you've guessed it, I thought he did really well. I'll still be happier to see him back on the wing though with Stimmo at 15 and shock, horror, the same back line combination started in consecutive weeks.

So what are our chances in this competition? Well at least we're not away at The Stoop. No hard feelings Quins but I do hope you get knocked out and we don't have to play you again, it's bound to be at your place.

Presumably Deano is giving the Powergen a higher degree of priority this year if only because the winner gets HEC qualification and the other routes are, shall we say, not exactly giving us a clear path at present.

On the basis that a full strength Tigers side turns out, subject only to the exclusion of Backy and MadEye by injury with Josh possibly back at 7 I feel that the Tigers pack will be too strong for the Warriors in general and in the front five in particular.

I can't see really see a 'Cup Shock' headline in the Mercury and expect a Tigers win and progression into the next round - hopefully not at The Stoop!