We win at windy Worcester - Worcester match report

By Steven Dean
April 11 2006

A bold and brisk start for the visiting London Irish was rewarded with a try for Keiran Roche after only 2 minutes. This and a later converted try from Shane Geraghty were the only points we gained.

In reply Worcester scored an early try and a late penalty as both sides struggled to keep in the whistle-happy referee’s good books. The final score of Worcester 10 London Irish 12 was a fair reflection; both sides had struggled to master kicking in a wind that seemed to favour neither side. Thinus Delport, the Worcester full-back was sent off for a second yellow card after 54 minutes and his side struggled to make impact in his absence.

The win propels the Exiles into 3rd place in the table on 52pts. This position may well be temporary: Leicester, on 51pts, play this afternoon. 5th placed Gloucester gained only a losing bonus point at Sale and are back on 48pts. Next weeks match against desperate Leeds should not be taken for granted, particularly given our injury list. It will be vital to consolidate our top-4 spot before concentrating on the Cup semi-final in Newcastle.

Once again I travelled on the supporters’ coach and arrived, with drums and bodhrans, some 2 hours before kick-off. The local stewards had been told by the Health & Safety officer that our percussion was likely to be ‘an outrage to public decency’. It really did seem that we’d arrived in Bible belt America intent on watching Elvis ‘the Pelvis’ Presley. Give ‘me a uniform and they think they’re Hitler. There was no explanation, no discussion; like classic nightclub bouncers they were “not coming in, sonny”. So we had a quick photo-op at the gates, and entered, drum-less.

The Sixways clubhouse bar had beer, lager, and both styles of Guinness. Good value and quickly served, in firm polythene glasses, with a fair queuing system. Decorated with shields and silverware cabinets with light oak flooring, it gave a modern and welcoming look for the rugby. The corridors were lined with team photo’s going back to the 1920’s ; the 1973 side being a classic ‘Life on Mars’ array of moustaches, heavy sideburns and collar-length hair. Those Worcester Ladies have a fine tradition to live up to! We stood socialising in front of the bar which slopes up to the pitch: the more stunted but knowledgeable locals bring plastic steps in order to peer onto the pitch. One enterprising chap had brought a trampoline and a bubble machine, and looked forward to a good view: around 50% of the time, anyway. As kick-off approached I took my seat in the opposite East stand with a mixture of fans, noting that the core of our support were behind the goals in the corner.

First Half

Worcester fumbled the kick-off which got held up in the gusting wind which blew diagonally and across the pitch in turns. With the initiative Irish made several strong runs before Keiron Roche burst through a tackle and scored after 2 minutes. The conversion looked simple but Rikki Flutey missed it inside the post. It was a strong and gusting wind all day, and neither sides kickers covered themselves with glory, so I’d put it down to the conditions, and early nerves.

Worcester hit back some minutes later with some running rugby which ended up in a try for South African full back Thinus Delport. A long floated pass missed out two defenders and Delport took it a speed to dot down some 10 metres in. The conversion was given by the blind incompetent fools with flags; when it was clearly…..oh well. Worcester 7 London Irish 5 after only 12 minutes.

I thought that the game might settle down after this bright start; but it just got messy. Both sides made mistakes, both sides missed easy penalty kicks. Irish missed a drop goal attempt from front and central which my adjectival grandmother could have back-heeled over. Irish threw forward, or were offside. Both sides lost their own line-out in promising positions. In the spirit of incompetence that was prevalent Worcester handled on the floor, entered rucks at the side, and so there was an hour of the Wayne Barnes whistle stopping tour of the West Country. I almost lost the will to live.

Typical was Delport being yellow carded after 15 minutes. He seemed to have blocked Delon Armitage chasing his chip through. We kicked to the corner and lost the lineout to Craig Gillies, and then gave a penalty away to allow the foot off their throat.

A promising attacking position for Worcester was squandered by panic. Our rush defence led to Matt Powell passing the ball between his legs and the centre throwing the resulting ball into touch.

After 30 minutes Worcester got a kickable penalty but managed to hit the top of the post and Irish gathered it and cleared to halfway. The next Worcester attack was a reprise of their previous attack, as they threw the ball behind the winger and into touch. Again. No wonder the majority of Warriors play is of the up-your-jumper style. Keeping it short and tight among the forwards seems sensible if that’s what the girls do with it.

Shortly before half-time the excellent Shane Geraghty scored between the posts and Rikki Flutey converted it. The bloke next to me, dropped his chips, and began choking on one which had gone the wrong way. We patted him on the back, held him upside down until he went less purple. Worcester 7 London Irish 12 with 37 minutes gone.

Half Time.

Toilets are a series of portakabins behind the East stand, but clean and functional for gents at least. Far better than Gloucester anyway. Ladies seemed to queue a lot longer.

There are also bars under the stand with a lot of the bitter and lager and even some Guinness pre-poured theatre-interval style. Your intrepid away reported foreswore these pleasures and stuck to transcribing his scribbled notes. I hoped for a better second half, and thought the wind may favour us. Instead it switched to blowing across the pitch. Gusting strongly, it sometimes dropped off. The high clouds and changeable weather reminded me of a Cheltenham Gold Cup day in 1987. When Dawn Run came back to beat Wayward Lad on the run in, and all the Irish hats went up in the air. That day was“Four Seasons in one Day” weather. Strong warm sunshine, gusting wind, rain, hail, sleet and snow showers lasting a minute or so, as God sorted out his weather box of toys. We were ahead, but not by much. Would Worcester come back to beat us on the line, as they had at the Madejski ? Or would Irish hats go in the air again ?

Second Half.

Highlights of the second half were few as we failed to score. An Irish attack where Delon was held down in the tackle, gained us an early penalty: Rikki kicked to the corner. Once again though, we crucially lost the attacking lineout.

Soon after Topsy uncharacteristically knocked on, and there was the donkey hee-hawing from a small central section of the home crowd. The home crowd do get very quiet for both kickers, and I’ve heard much louder hee-hawing at other grounds. Though I can’t recall where, it’s minimal at Sixways.

On 53 minutes a scrap developed on the far side, detached from this someone appeared to punch Bishop. The result of which was that Rikki Flutey got 10 minutes and Thinus Delport sat out the rest of the game as it was his second yellow. I didn’t see how the incident started or developed, so I can only report the result.

Worcester were spurred into attack during the time that both teams had 14 men. At the crucial moment as we defended our 22, and roared on by the home crowd, Topsy intercepted. A brilliant piece of skill by our England hero was countered as he was half stopped by Drahm, I think. Instead of being able to leg it up the field unopposed he was quickly swamped by defenders and, isolated, forced to hold on. On such moments games turn. The penalty was knocked over by Shane Drahm, and the score was now Worcester 10 London Irish 12 after 62 minutes.

Rikki Flutey returned to the field, roundly boo-ed by the home crowd on the far side. Those who saw the incident judged Flutey to be in the wrong. All I know is that Flutey is not a dirty player and doesn’t deserve to be boo-ed by the opposition fans. By Irish fans for his kicking displays, maybe !

With the clock running down, Delon and Topsy were a little over anxious in attack and seemed to get mixed up. As they tried to keep the ball alive and avoid contact, there was a forward pass, and the try scoring opportunity was lost.

Andy Gomarsall came on for Worcester with 10 minutes remaining, allowing them to kick deep in to Irish territory late in the game. To counter this we booted the ball back and Worcester got a rolling maul going from 40 metres, roared by the home crowd. But it came to nothing, and Irish tried to run the ball out of defence, Topsy was again isolated and penalised for not releasing.

With 77 minutes gone, my heart sank, this was a kickable penalty opportunity. From a similar angle to the conversion which Rikki had missed, seemingly hours ago, but further out. I could hardly bear to watch. Relief was heartfelt as the ball was pulled some 3-4 metres wide.

The final whistle came shortly afterwards leaving the score Worcester 10 London Irish 12.

Man of the Match. Difficult to choose between the two try scorers, Kieron Roche and Shane Geraghty. Both were magnificent in their own way, but I’ll give it Shane for stepping in and firing some great long passes like a flying scrum half. For his willingness to step and take the ball in to contact, and for industry. For his try at the end of the first half which gave us the points, because he had the sense to score under the posts on a difficult kicking day.