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All smiles at Sixways as Worcester clinch safety and Gloucester seal play-off spot
Worcester secured Gallagher Premiership safety – and Gloucester reached the play-offs – after Warriors won an enthralling tussle 27-20 at Sixways.
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Worcester’s victory put them 11 points clear of bottom club Newcastle with two games left, and the Falcons will be relegated if they do not beat Gloucester next weekend or Leicester beat Harlequins on Friday.
Danny Cipriani ran the show for Gloucester before he went off after 57 minutes nursing a hand injury, being heavily involved in creating first-half tries for wing Henry Purdy and scrum-half Willi Heinz.
The Gloucester fly-half has been overlooked at Test level this season, but watching England boss Eddie Jones would struggle not to have been impressed by Cipriani’s classy display.
It proved in vain for his team, though, as despite Purdy claiming his second try and Billy Twelvetrees kicking a penalty and conversion, Worcester triumphed through touchdowns for fly-half Duncan Weir, hooker Niall Annett and lock Darren Barry.
? IT'S ALL OVER ??
A cracking second-half effort from @WorcsWarriors and 17 points from @duncan_weir was enough to secure the win ??
Safety guaranteed for Warriors ?
Congratulations also to @gloucesterrugby who make their first play-off in 8 years?
Man of the match? ? pic.twitter.com/2GY61H4qHG
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) April 28, 2019
Weir also booted two penalties and three conversions for a 17-point haul, while Gloucester’s losing bonus point put them into the play-offs for a first time since 2011.
Worcester wing Perry Humphreys returned after injury, replacing a suspended Bryce Heem, while Gloucester showed four changes following victory over Bath two weeks ago, including starts for ex-Warriors prop Val Rapava Ruskin and flanker Jake Polledri.
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Weir kicked Worcester into a sixth-minute lead after Warriors’ Wales wing Josh Adams went close to breaching Gloucester’s defence, but the visitors hit back in impressive fashion. Cipriani’s clever kick into space put the Worcester defence on the back foot, then possession was moved quickly before Cipriani sent Purdy over for the touchdown.
"Full, full credit to Worcester, I didn't see this result coming!"
Fantastic scenes at Sixways ?@WorcsWarriors produced a great performance to secure their safety! pic.twitter.com/iqGrs5X08H
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 28, 2019
Worcester, though, rocked their opponents through a 10-point scoring burst in just three minutes, with Weir collecting the lot. A long-range penalty edged the Warriors back in front, then his defence-splitting pass sent Humphreys clear, and although he was hauled down just short of the line, he got a pass away to Weir.
The Scotland international finished off an impressive move, before he added the conversion and opened up a 13-5 lead inside the first 20 minutes. Gloucester enjoyed territorial supremacy for the remainder of an entertaining half, but it took them until the dying seconds to break down Worcester’s defence.
Cipriani was inevitably the catalyst, twice being involved in a move studded by precision passing, and centre Mark Atkinson’s final ball to Heinz sent the Gloucester skipper over.
Twelvetrees added the conversion, giving Gloucester a two-point interval advantage as they closed in on the play-offs.
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After 8?? seasons, we are back in the playoffs! pic.twitter.com/epa2H3hl61
— Gloucester Rugby ? (@gloucesterrugby) April 28, 2019
But Worcester regained the lead 10 minutes after half-time after their forwards battered away at Gloucester’s line before Annett crashed over. Weir’s conversion made it 20-15, and Gloucester were fortunate to see lock Ed Slater avoid punishment following a shoulder-led challenge on Adams that left the Worcester player requiring treatment.
Worcester’s forwards relished the challenge in front of them, and they scored again six minutes later when Barry rounded off another spell of sustained pressure. Gloucester, without Cipriani, needed to rally in the final quarter, and they began it well through a second touchdown for Purdy after he collected fellow wing Charlie Sharples’ long floated pass.
But they could make no further in-roads as Worcester held out for a deserved victory that means they will be playing top-flight rugby again next season.
'When you’re injured it definitely emphasises the fact rugby can get taken away from you' – @GJvanVelze talks to @heagneyl about Worcester's relegation battle, his injuries and having a non-rugby balance in his life ?https://t.co/3LRhK0M0ho
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 11, 2019
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments