Warriors end pre-season with narrow defeat to Cardiff

Worcester Warriors ended their pre-season preparations with a narrow one-point defeat to URC side Cardiff at Sixways.

The visitors raced into a four-try lead after 28 minutes, but a Warriors fightback in the closing stages of the first half and second half led to an entertaining contest.

It took Cardiff five minutes to cross the line after applying the pressure from the off, with Jacob Beetham crossing in the corner.

The Warriors pack started to impose themselves at scrum time, winning two scrum penalties in the early stages, with Siva Naulago being held up from close range for the hosts' first chance of the game.

But the visitors soon had tries two and three, with Taine Basham crossing for his side's second try from the base of a five-metre scrum before Ellis Bevan scored almost straight from kick-off after strong work from Le Roux Malan and Cam Winnett.

Worcester continued to build into the match, with the strong scrum continuing, but Cardiff scored a fourth through centre Harri Millard.

In the final ten minutes of the half, the Warriors crossed for their first try, with Tim Anstee getting over the line after strong carrying from Naulago down the left wing.

And on the stroke of half-time came a second with Cam Miell burrowing over from close range to narrow the gap to ten points at the break.

Multiple changes for both sides at the start of the half stunted any try-scoring momentum, but the Warriors continued to build multiple phases against a strong Cardiff defence and were eventually rewarded when Will Reed danced through a gap in the defensive line for his side's third of the game.

Cardiff’s replacement hooker Liam Belcher extended his side's lead from a driving maul a few minutes later, but it was the Warriors who had the final say when Rory Taylor claimed a bouncing ball inside the Cardiff 22 to run in, with Billy Twelvetrees conversion narrowing the gap to one point.

Worcester pushed for a winner, but the visitors held on to the victory.

Warriors 26

T – Tim Anstee 31’, Cam Miell 40’, Will Reed 60’, Rory Taylor 79’

C – Will Reed 40’, 60’, Billy Twelvetrees 79’

Cardiff 27

T – Jacob Beetham 5’, Taine Basham 16’, Ellis Bevan 18’, Harri Millard 28’, Liam Belcher

C – Callum Sheedy 16’

Warriors Team

15 Louis Brown (Zach Armstrong 60’), 14 Jake Garside (Jack Hopson 71’), 13 Siva Naulago (Alfie Garside HT), 12 Tom Seabrook (Rory Taylor 15’), 11 Roma Zheng (Will Trewin 31’), 10 Will Reed (Billy Twelvetrees 60’), 9 Will Lane (Noah Cowan 71’); 1 Cam Miell (Finn Haynes 50’), 2 Austin Wallis (Jack Dickinson 64’), 3 Fraser Balmain (Ashley Challenger 31’), 4 Tom Savage ©, 5 John Hawkins (Owain Evans 64’), 6 Tim Anstee (Will Owen 60’), 7 James Cherry, 8 Hallam Chapman (Austin Wallis 75’)

Cardiff Team

15 Cam Winnett (Matty Young 50’), 14 Jacob Beetham, 13 Harri Millard (Osian Darwin-Lewis HT), 12 Le Roux Malan, 11 Elijah Evans (Rhys Cummings 21’), 10 Callum Sheedy (Lloyd Lucas 50’), 9 Ellis Bevan (Johan Mulder 55’(Sion Davies 75’)); 1 Danny Southworth (Scott Sio 62’), 2 Daf Hughes © (Liam Belcher 55’ (Tom Howe 71’)), 3 Joe Cowell (Javan Sebastian 50’), 4 Tom Manz, 5 Rory Thornton (Sonny McCabe 62’), 6 Lucas de la Rua, 7 Dan Thomas (Tom Cottle 50’), 8 Taine Basham

Unused – Rhys Barratt