Warriors fall to defeat at Coventry

Worcester Warriors suffered defeat in the final league game of the Champ Rugby season, losing 64-28 on the road to Coventry.

Coventry raced into an early-lead before the Warriors fought back before half-time, but the hosts ran away with it in the second period – running in for six tries to secure their victory.

Worcester started brightly in the opening minutes peppering the Coventry line but the hosts secured a penalty and managed to escape their lines.

And their opener soon came when the ball made it’s way out wide to winger David Opoku-Fordjour in space to race-in.

Again Worcester got close but Hallam Chapman was held-up over the line and soon after Coventry had a second when scrum-half Josh Barton picking an intercept to run-in from his own-half.

Opoku-Fordjour nearly had a second try five minutes later, but last-ditch defence from Jake Garside forcing the winger to knock-on over the line.

But Coventry did have a third try a minute later when the ball was flung out wide to Jack Reeves who finished in the corner.

With fifteen minutes left of the half Worcester got on the scoreboard when Josh Bassett was found following a looping off-the-top line out to crash over.

And Bassett had a second seven minutes later when the winger added his power to a driving maul to get over the line from the maul, sending the Warriors in at half-time narrowly behind 19-14.

Coventry started the second-half brightly with Opoku-Fordjour getting his second outwide before securing his hat-trick a few minutes later after a strong break from Senitiki Nayalo.

The Warriors narrowed the gap with Juan Gonzalez picking an intercept to run-in from his own 22 for Worcester’s third try.

Replacement Coventry fly-half Tommy Matthews extended his sides lead via a penalty before two minutes later Allan Ferrie added a sixth try after a raging break from half-way.

Tom Bacon added his sides 7^th when he crossed in the corner with the Warriors responding with a bonus-point try when Will Trewin went over after some nice rugby from Gonzalez to break.

But the hosts added two more in the final stages, first Onisivoro Sukani Nayagi crashing over before winger Reeves added his second and his sides ninth with a great finish in the corner.

Chinnor 64

T – David Opoku-Fordjour 5’, 44’, 47’, Josh Barton 9’, Jack Reeves 16’,  79’, Allan Ferrie 65’, Tom Bacon 68’, Onisivoro Sukani Nayagi 76’

C – Josh Thomas 9’, 16’, 44’, 47’, Tommy Matthews 65’, 68’, 76’, 79’

P – Tommy Matthews 63’

Warriors 28

T – Josh Bassett 26’, 33’, Juan Gonzalez 59’, Will Trewin 73’

C – Billy Twelvetrees 26, 33’, 59’, Tiff Eden 73’

Coventry XV

15 Tom Bacon, 14 David Opoku-Fordjour, 13 Oli Morris, 12 Api Bavadra (Dafydd-Rhys Tueti 53’), 11 Jack Reeves, 10 Josh Thomas (Tommy Matthews 55’), 9 Josh Barton (Sam Maunder HT); 1 Aristot Benz-Salomon (Keston Lines 59’) 2 Jordon Poole (c) (Murray Davidson 53’), 3 Matt Johnson (Eliot Salt 44’), 4 Senitiki Nayalo, 5 Mackenzie Graham, 6 Allan Ferrie (Sam Harding 65’), 7 Tom Ball, 8 Morgan Strong (Onisivoro Sukani Nayagi 59’)

Warriors XV

15 Juan Gonzalez, 14 Jake Garside (Will Trewin 47’), 13 James Short, 12 Rory Taylor, 11 Josh Bassett (Will Lane 63’), 10 Billy Twelvetrees, 9 Lloyd Williams (Tiff Eden 65’); 1 Billy Keast (Cam Miell 63’), 2 Archie Vanes (Austin Wallis 15’), 3 Fraser Balmain (Ashley Challenger 55’), 4 Hallam Chapman (Thabo Ndimande 47’), 5 James Tyas, 6 Tim Anstee, 7 Matt Kvesic ©, 8 Hugh Bokenham (Marr Rogerson 47’)