Chapman gets three in season opening win

Worcester Warriors made a dream start to their Elior Champ Rugby campaign with a six-try bonus-point victory over Bedford Blues at Sixways.

The Warriors ran in four second-half tries and kept Bedford to just one in a 40-5 victory.

It took just five minutes for Worcester to get their opening try of the season with a driving maul motoring towards the line and Hallam Chapman getting over the line.

A strong showing at scrum-time kept much of the game's momentum in the hands of the Warriors across the first half, and they were rewarded with a second try, again from a driving maul with Austin Wallis getting the second of the game.

The feistiness from last year’s final continued into this opener with plenty of moments that sparked the crowd’s interest.

As the clock edged into the final stages, Bedford were pushing for their first points of the game, but strong work from Siva Naulago at ruck time brought the ball back into Warriors' hands, and that was that for the first half.

Momentum continued in favour of the Warriors in the second period and six minutes into the half Louis Brown strolled over for his side's third try after a build-up of pressure from the forward pack.

Fly-half Will Reed added his second conversion of the day from a cool as you like drop-kick attempt after the ball fell off the tee.

Hallam Chapman almost had a second after chasing down a hacked kick through, but the ball just bounced in favour of Bedford.

But the fourth try did come on the sixty-minute mark when Will Trewin picked an intercept well inside his own half before chasing down his own kick through to claim the bouncing ball and dot down.

Lucas Titherington crossed for what proved to be a consolation Bedford try before Hal Chapman added his second and third tries in the dying minutes.

Chapman’s second came after a build-up of forward phases and a burrowed carry over the line, with his third and the Warriors' sixth coming from another driving maul as the clock went into the red.

Warriors 40

T – Hallam Chapman 5’, 79’, 80’, Austin Wallis 29’, Louis Brown 46’, Will Trewin 61’

C – Will Reed 5’, 46’, 61’, 79’, 80’

Bedford 5

T – Lucas Titherington 72’

YC – Alex Woolford 80’

Warriors Team

15 Louis Brown, 14 Jake Garside, 13 Siva Naulago (Alfie Garside 61’), 12 Tom Seabrook (Rory Taylor 56’), 11 Will Trewin, 10 Will Reed, 9 Will Lane (Lloyd Williams 61’); 1 Cam Miell (Billy Keast 41’), 2 Austin Wallis (Jack Dickinson 56’), 3 Fraser Balmain (Ashley Challenger 56’), 4 Tom Savage © (James Tyas 41’), 5 John Hawkins, 6 Tim Anstee, 7 James Cherry (Matt Kvesic 41’), 8 Hallam Chapman

Bedford Team

15 Louis James, 14 Ryan Hutler, 13 George Worth, 12 Lucas Titherington, 11 Amena Caqusau (Freddie St John 51’), 10 Will Maisey (Ben Dufficy 62’), 9 Alex Day © (James Lennon 51’); 1 Joey Conway (Monty Royston 56’), 2 Tommy Herman (James Fish 43’), 3 Oisin Heffernan (Will Davies-King 56’), 4 Ilan Evans (Alex Woolford 46’), 5 Rory Ward, 6 Fred Tuilagi, 7 Kayde Sylvester (Archie Benson 46’), 8 Tui Uru

Our Match Sponsor Man of the Match Austin Wallis as chosen by Nicol & Co!