REPORT | Worcester Cavaliers 32-6 Wasps

Sam Olver and Connor Eastgate exchanged penalties in the opening 20 minutes before Alex Hearle grabbed the game’s first try.

Eastgate punished Cavaliers for some missed opportunities when he landed a penalty to make it 8-6 before the break but Dean Hammond (2), Michael Dowsett and Huw Taylor went over in the second-half as the hosts secured the win with a try-bonus point.

New signing Andrew Durutalo made an instant impact on his first appearance in the Blue and Gold as he won a turnover in the second minute to get Warriors on the front foot, and it was the hosts who enjoyed most of the possession and territory in the opening ten.

And they were duly rewarded when Olver slapped over a penalty from the 22 to break the deadlock.

Wasps then mounted a spell of pressure on Cavaliers but couldn’t get over the tryline despite their efforts although they soon equalised when Eastgate slotted a penalty halfway through the first period.

The Cavaliers pack then showed their strength at the scrum to win a penalty but Olver couldn’t capitalise with the boot from 40 metres out.

Biyi Alo then had the crowd on their feet with a stampeding run through the middle and Cavaliers soon recycled for Hearle to dot down in the corner for the game’s first try.

Olver came close with his conversion but later dragged a straightforward penalty wide as Cavaliers looked to pull away from their local rivals.

But they were made to rue their missed opportunities when Eastgate landed a kick from 40 metres to make it 8-6 at the interval.

Cavs replaced Durutalo and Heem with Huw Taylor and Warriors Under 18 youngster Ollie Lawrence at the halfway stage, and Bromsgrove School student Lawrence produced an electric run into the Wasps 22 soon after the restart.

The hosts couldn’t finish the move off but soon won back possession and Olver’s delightful crossfield kick had Wasps in trouble and Hammond on the wing capitalised to stroll in.

Olver added the extras and Cavs were at it again when Dowsett got his side moving with a quick penalty.

That soon led to another brilliant break from young Lawrence and Dowsett was in support to finish off with Olver helping himself to another two points from the tee.

Wasps skipper Owain James looked threatening every time he got the ball and galloped his way from 22 to 22 before Hammond tracked back to pull him down and dispossessing him in the process.

Cavaliers searched for a bonus-point fourth try and they got it when a powerful driving maul saw Taylor crash over.

And the hosts didn’t stop there. After an injury to Eastgate, Wasps were left with 14 men and Cavaliers grabbed a fifth try when the ball was shipped out wide to Hammond who finished off a brilliant night for him and his team with a try at the death.

Worcester Cavaliers | 15 Afeafe Haisila Lokotui (Bartley 65), 14 Bryce Heem (Lawrence 40), 13 Dean Hammond, 12 Will Butler (C), 11 Alex Hearle, 10 Sam Olver, 9 Michael Dowsett (Wootten 54); 1 Nick Rigby, 2 Matti Williams (Cutting 32), 3 Biyi Alo (Morris 48) , 4 Ted Hill, 5 Andrew Kitchener, 6 Tom Dodd, 7 Carl Kirwan (Scott 44), 8 Andrew Durutalo (Taylor 40)

Replacements | 16 Beck Cutting, 17 Steph Thorpe, 18 Joe Morris, 19 James Scott, 20 Huw Taylor, 21 George Wootton (University of Bath), 22 Ollie Lawrence, 23 Alex Bartley

Timeline
10m | Olver pen 3-0
20m | Eastgate pen 3-3
27m | Hearle try 8-3
37m | Eastgate pen 8-6
45m | Hammond try 13-6
46m | Olver con 15-6
49m | Dowsett try 20-6
50m | Olver con 22-6
64m | Taylor try 27-6
79m | Hammond try 32-6