Confrontation

By Ian Todd
January 3 2011

An entertaining contest saw Worcester, with a number of former Bristol favourites in theranks, run out a comprehensive victors.  The opening twenty minutes told a different strory, with Bristol taking the fight to a startled Worcester with great pace and style.  In the end though the hosts ran out of steam as Worcester brought on experienced replacements and out-thought and out-muscled their opponents

Adrian Jarvis got the match started and Bristol were quickly onto the attack, with Roy Winters almost getting hold of the kick-off.  Worcester attempted to clear the danger but the clearance kick was charged down and gathered in by Ollie Hayes.  Worcester were penalised and Bristol elected to go for touch.  Dan Montagu took the ball cleanly and the pack drove on before Richard Bolt took the ball up close to the line before  James Merriman went over under the posts.  Jarvis converted to give Bristol a 7 - 0 lead with just three minutes gone. 

Worcester took play back to Bristol with former Bristol player Crockett making his way over the gain line on the right wing before play was switched back left.  Bristol were penalised, much to the displeasure of the crowd but Goode's penalty kick was well off target.  The first scrum went Bristol's way and a neat cross-field kick was well taken by Anthony Elliott on his wing.  Bristol tried to find a way through a well-drilled defence but turned over possession to let Goode loose  on the wing.  The fly-half  had, to the surprise of some, the pace to out sprint the out-of-position defenders and he touched down for a try that had  the hint of  a knock-on to it.  No matter, he converted to equalise the score. 

Another charge down by Bristol showed the pace at which the game was being played before Elliott came in to the line to cut the Worcester defence to ribbons before feeding Merriman to romp over for a converted try and 14 - 7.  Once more a Worcester kick was charged down but any hope of another try was dashed when a forward's kick saw the ball into touch on the full.  A rattled looking Worcester were then penalised and Jarvis long range effort sailed over for a deserved 17 - 7 lead at the end of the first quarter.  Sean Marsden sent up a long , high kick which was clumsily knocked on by the receiver to give Bristol a good attacking scrum.  Merriman took the ball on well and Worcester infringed to give Jarvis an easy penalty kick to take Bristol into a thirteen point lead.  In an all too familiar way Bristol then promptly gave away a penalty right in front of the posts to negate all their previous hard work. 

Yet another soft penalty went against the hosts and this allowed Worcester to put the Bristol line under pressure and Crockett surged into a gap to cross for a try.  Goode, despite several distractions, managed the conversion and Worcester were right back in the mix at 20 - 17.  All to soon the score was equalised following the award of another weak penalty.  Jarvis had the chance to push his time back in front but his penalty effort was very narrowly wide, although his subsequent kick from the hand was superbly weighted to pin Worcester back. Sadly Bristol were unable  to take advantage of the field position and Worcester showed their counterattacking skills by breaking from their own 22 up to the Bristol five metre line with only a forward pass denying them a try at the close of the half. 

Bristol started the second half positively but an overthrow at a penalty lineout meant that Worcester had possession and could move over on to the attack.  Bristol were penalised as they struggled to realign but Goode's audacious effort from inside his own half went just wide.  The visitors continued to work away patiently, holding on to the ball and edging their way forward.  The hint of a gap was ruthlessly exploited and Goode scuttled over for another try out on the right wing.  He was off-target with the tricky conversion attempt but he had taken his team into a 20 - 25 lead.  Bristol attempted to hit back and a deliberate knock-on at a ruck saw Jarvis narrow the gap to two points.

Sadly for Bristol this was as close as things would get and Worcester continued to look the sharper and more composed side.   The pace and precision of the Worcester attacks continued to trouble the Bristol midfield and breakdown defence and it was only a matter of minutes before Goode cancelled out Jarvis' penalty effort with one of his own.   Play was starting to break up and it was clear that Worcester were most likely to benefit.  This proved to be the case when a poor Bristol scrum disrupted the defensive line and quick hands from Worcester set the even quicker Benjamin flying on the left wing.  Sheer pace, straight running and very weak tackling saw him over for a converted try and 23 - 35. 

Bristol struggled to find a way back.  Worcester stayed calm and once again were clinical in seizing upon a lapse in concentration from Bristol to go close from a five metre lineout.  Gillies looked to be trying to touch the ball to the padding of the posts but some good defending was aware of the danger and he was just held out.  A series of scrums followed with Worcester keeping up the  pressure and the referee's patience wearing thin as the Bristol pack struggled and were penalise.  Unexpectedly Worcester then shipped the ball out wide, only for a foot in touch to rather tamely halt the move.  

Despite this setback Worcester continued to keep Bristol under pressure and a lovely cross-field kick from Goode was latched on to by Sanderson.  The move caught the defence napping and he went over without a defender going near him.  Goode converted to take Worcester into a commanding 23 - 42 lead.  Bristol sought what could only be a consolation try with a similar move of their own, but it was too far out to seriously trouble the defence.  However, a penalty did go their way and Jarvis found an excellent touch.  The lineout was not of the same quality and Worcester came away with the ball to underline their superiority as the match came to an end.