Warriors secure late bonus-point win on Champ Rugby return

Worcester Warriors began their return to competitive action with a bonus point win over Coventry at Sixways.

The visitors led 19-7 at half-time, but three second-half tries for the hosts secured victory in the Champ Rugby opener.

Coventry piled on the pressure in the opening minutes, with Tim Anstee seeing yellow for the Warriors for a build-up of penalties, before Senitiki Nayalo put Coventry ahead by powering over from close range, Josh Thomas added the extras.

Worcester reacted brilliantly to going behind with Will Biggs breaking the line with pace to give his side strong field position, which allowed Will Reed to cross out wide after some slick handling.

But the visitors continued to pressure the Worcester defence and crossed for two more tries before the break.

First winger Peter Sullivan crossed in the corner after some quick handling from the Coventry back-line before Sullivan’s fellow winger David Opoku-Fordjour went over in the opposite corner following a great offload by Nayalo.

Having gone in behind at the break, Worcester came quick out of the blocks in the second period and responded just five minutes into the half when Tom Seabrook crashed over under the posts, with Reed adding his second conversion.

And the sides were level just a few minutes later when Matt Kvesic found the line after the Warriors forwards bombarded the Coventry line.

The tension built as the game ticked into the final ten minutes with both sides looking to find the winning moment.

Reed pushed a penalty wide for the Warriors before Louis Brown forced Coventry centre Oli Morris to knock-on over the line – a key momentum shifter in the game.

The Sixways crowd grew louder, and with Reed knocking over a penalty to put his side in the lead, a winning return was edging closer.

And with the clock ticking into the red, the bonus point was confirmed with replacement prop Ashley Challenger emerging from a pile of bodies having clinched the win on a memorable occasion at Sixways.

Warriors

T – Reed 10’, Seabrook 45’, Kvesic 49’, Challenger 80’

C – Reed 10’, 45’, 80’

P – Reed 77’

YC – Anstee 5’

Coventry

T – Nayalo 8’, Sullivan 20’, Opoku-Fordjour 25’

C – Thomas 8’, 20’

Match Sponsor Player of the Match Tim Hoyt as chosen by Nicol & Co

Match Ball Sponsor Player of the Match Matt Kvesic as chosen by The Pace Group

A big thank you to Evertons Wine Merchants and Pommery for providing the Player of the Match Champagne