Warriors swept to a sensational Aviva Premiership victory over Harlequins as Carl Hogg’s side welcomed in the New Year in style.
The hosts produced their most dominant performance of the season as they controlled the game from start to finish to earn four valuable points.
Warriors cruised to a 7-0 lead as Ryan Mills converted Dean Hammond’s early try before Mills added three first-half penalties to give his side a 16-0 lead at the break.
Ben Te’o added a second try four minutes after the interval to give Warriors breathing space as the hosts continued to push forward.
Harlequins pulled one back through Charlie Matthews before Mills added his fourth penalty to take his tally for the afternoon to 14 points.
The visitors left it too late to spoil Warriors’ celebrations but did force a losing bonus point as Alofa Alofa crossed before replacement Tim Swiel added five points with the boot.
Head Coach Hogg made five changes to the side which travelled to Bristol Rugby on Boxing Day as Josh Adams, Mills, Val Rapava Ruskin, Jack Singleton and Donncha O’Callaghan all returned to the starting line-up.
The game began with a ferocious intensity as both sides had urgency to get the ball in hand and attack.
And Warriors were ahead after eight minutes as Mills fired a miss-pass out to Hammond on the left, who raced to the line before diving over to bring the Sixways crowd to its feet.
Mills, who returned to the side at fly-half, had initiated the attack – kicking a penalty into touch deep inside the Harlequins 22, before the home forward pack secured possession.
Warriors were starting to dominate the match as they moved the ball from side to side before Adams made a fantastic break down the left, but the visitors were defending well.
The hosts pushed forward at every opportunity and Mills increased his side’s advantage as he bisected the posts with a penalty midway through the first-half.
Harlequins were struggling to find a way into the game and barely managed to gain possession in Warriors territory in the opening half an hour.
And Warriors were soon 13-0 up as Mills launched his second penalty from just inside the Harlequins half.
The 13-point haul was just reward for Warriors’ dominance – but they were forced to defend for the first time when the visitors did eventually find a way into the game.
The momentum shifted for the final ten minutes of the opening period and Harlequins camped inside the Warriors 22 as they forced a series of penalties.
Darren Barry was sent to the sin-bin but Warriors’ 14 men repelled the away side with tackle after tackle before clearing their lines.
And Warriors stretched their lead seconds before the break as Mills added his third penalty of the afternoon to give the home side a 16-0 lead at the interval.
Warriors began the second-half with the same hunger they had shown throughout the first as they looked to get the upper-hand once again.
And the hosts went over for their second try of the match as Te’o forced his way through the Harlequins defence and bundled his way over the line.
Warriors weren’t happy to sit on their lead and continued to assert their dominance as they pinned their opponents back in their own half.
Mills saw his first penalty attempt of the second period crash back off the upright before the visitors finally found a way through.
Harlequins penetrated the home defence as Matthews flopped over after good work from England scrum-half Danny Care, who had been a livewire throughout.
But the hosts refused to be fazed and Mills soon lashed his fourth penalty through the posts to put the Sixways side more than two converted tries ahead of the visitors.
Harlequins did force a spell of dominance as the game entered its latter stages and Alofa went over in the corner four minutes before the end before Swiel added a penalty at the death.
But Warriors had done enough to hang on as they started 2017 with a hard-earned win.
Warriors | 15 Josh Adams (Olivier 29), 14 Dean Hammond, 13 Ben Te’o, 12 Jackson Willison, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Ryan Mills, 9 Michael Dowsett, 1 Val Rapava Ruskin (Leleimalefaga 64), 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Nick Schonert (Alo 77), 4 Donncha O’Callaghan, 5 Darren Barry (Cavubati 74), 6 Dewald Potgieter (C), 7 Sam Lewis (Dowson 52), 8 Alafoti Faosiliva
Replacements | 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Na’ama Leleimalefaga, 18 Biyi Alo, 19 Tevita Cavubati, 20 Phil Dowson, 21 George de Cothi, 22 Connor Braid, 23 Wynand Olivier
Timeline
8m | Hammond try 5-0
9m | Mills con 7-0
21m | Mills pen 10-0
28m | Mills pen 13-0
40m | Mills pen 16-0
44m | Te’o try 21-0
61m | Matthews try 21-5
61m | Swiel con 21-7
67m | Mills pen 24-7
76m | Alofa try 24-12
77m | Swiel con 24-14
80m | Swiel pen 24-17