Warriors enjoyed home comforts in their first Gallagher Premiership match at Sixways in sevebn weeks with a hard-earned but deserved win over lively Harlequins.
Close range tries from Nick Schonert and acting-captain Ryan Mills rewarded Warriors for a much-improved performance from their pack in the set piece and made it four straight home wins in all competitions.
Duncan Weir played his part with a faultless kicking display while Harlequins missed three kickable penalties and full-back Chris Pennell levered over a penalty from half way on the stroke of half time which proved significant.
But the game was won up front where locks Pierce Phillips and Anton Bresler were secure in the lineouts and the back row of England newboy Ted Hill, Matt Cox and Sam Lewis were in rampaging form.
Warriors had to absorb early pressure as Harlequins used centre Ben Tapuai as their target runner supported by the pack.
Warriors’ defence held firm but they were drawn offside by a pick-and-drive move from the pack and fly-half Marcus Smith landed an easy penalty.
Warriors responded with a sustained attack of their own and when Quins were penalised for side entry at a ruck, Duncan Weir stroked over the penalty to level the scores.
Smith missed an opportunity to restore Quins’ lead when he put a kickable penalty wide of the target but Warriors lost Weir – albeit temporarily – for treatment to a cut to his face.
In Weir’s absence Jamie Shillcock took over the kicking duties but he was narrowly off target with a 27th minute penalty attempt.
It proved a shortlived reprieve for Quins as Warriors were soon awarded another penalty which they kicked to the corner. The lineout was won and the pack drove Quins back with Nick Schonert emerging with the ball and the try.
Weir banged over the conversion which increased in value when Smith fell short with a long range penalty attempt late in the first half.
There was still time for Warriors to win two more penalties and from the second Chris Pennell stepped up to hammer a spectacular kick from halfway which gave Wariors a ten points lead at the break.
That kick increased in significance for Warriors after Quins pulled to within three points when centre Joe Marchant went over for an interception try from halfway when Warriors appeared to be building the pressure nicely.
James Lang added the conversion but Warriors regrouped and put Quins under immediate pressure.
A series of penalties to touch allowed the Warriors pack to shunt Quins backwards. Quins went offside but referee Andrew Jackson played advantage and another pick-and-drive allowed Ryan Mills to pick up at the back of a maul and dot down.
Weir added a difficult conversion to restore the ten points advantage. Quins missed an opportunity to reduce the deficit when Lang was off target with a penalty but he made amends a minute from time to claim a losing bonus point.
Warriors. 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Ryan Mills (C), 11 Perry Humphreys, 10 Duncan Weir (Shillcock 22-29) 9 Francois Hougaard, 1 Callum Black (Waller 53), 2 Jack Singleton (Annett 69), 3 Nick Schonert (Milasinovich 66), 4 Anton Bresler (Barry 71), 5 Pierce Phillips, 6 Ted Hill (Williams 75), 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Matt Cox.
Replacements. 16 Niall Annett, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Gareth Milasinovich, 19 Darren Barry, 20 Matti Williams, 21 Michael Heaney, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Wynand Olivier.
Timeline
8 m | Smith pen 0-3
13m | Weir pen 3-3
32m | Schonert try 8-3
33m | Weir con 10-3
40m | Pennell pen 13-3
56m | Marchant try 13-8
57m | Lang con 13-10
62m | Mills try 18-10
63m | Weir con 20-10
79m | Lang pen 20-13