THE night started badly for Bristol, when they lost one of their most experienced players in the first minute, and it did not finish well either. Shane Drahm’s fourth penalty goal seven minutes from time created enough of an advantage for Worcester to clinch the points and move up to fifth in the Guinness Premiership.
Drahm, named this month in England’s A squad, proved the difference between the sides. The Australia-born fly half’s kicking game was more serviceable on a damp night than Bristol’s, who started with adventure but could not find the territory they wanted.
Worcester survived the departure at half-time of their captain, Pat Sanderson, a charge-down try that allowed Bristol to draw level midway through the second half and the loss to the sin-bin of Dale Rasmussen. But they were able to control possession and position so well that Bristol could not take advantage of their weakened state and a long-range penalty attempt by Tommy Hayes could not steal a share of the spoils.
Sanderson, the England flanker, was playing his first match since mid-December because of a back injury. But a gashed head forced him out of the game and it remains to be seen whether Andy Robinson, the national coach, considers he has had enough rugby to contest a place against Wales next Saturday.
Bristol lost Brian Lima as he pursued a high kick by Jason Strange with only 40 seconds on the clock. The Samoa centre took an elbow in the face that knocked him out and was taken to hospital but his colleagues shrugged off his departure; Shaun Perry, running from a scrum into a big open-side field, flipped a pass to Lee Robinson and the wing dashed 40 metres for the line.
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Drahm popped over a couple of penalties before creating a similar try for Worcester. Aisea Havili came off his wing to break past the front line of Bristol’s defence and beat two tacklers to score. Worcester had so little set-piece ball they had to depend on Bristol’s offerings. Penalties either side of half-time by Strange drew his team level but, from turnover ball, Havili and Thomas Lombard sent Drew Hickey over.
Bristol drew level once more when Mark Denney charged down Drahm’s clearance and Strange dummied his way over.
When Rasmussen departed for a late tackle on David Lemi, the door was open for Bristol but they could not keep it ajar. Drahm kicked a third penalty to level matters and a fourth when Bristol fell offside behind a five-metre scrum.
SCORERS: Bristol: Tries: Robinson (6min), Strange (59). Conversions: Strange 2. Penalty goals: Strange 3 (40, 51, 64). Worcester: Tries: Havili (23), Hickey (55). Conversions: Drahm 2. Penalty goals: Drahm 4 (9, 18, 66, 73).
SCORING SEQUENCE (Bristol first): 7-0, 7-3, 7-6, 7-13, 10-13 (half-time), 13-13, 13-20, 20-20, 23-20, 23-23, 23-26.
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BRISTOL: B Stortoni (rep: T Hayes, 73min); L Robinson, B Lima (rep: M Denney, 1), R Higgitt, D Lemi; J Strange, S Perry; D Hilton, M Regan, D Crompton, N Budgett, G Llewellyn, M Salter, J El Abd, G Lewis.
WORCESTER: N le Roux; A Havili, D Rasmussen (sin-bin, 63-73), T Lombard, M Tucker; S Drahm, A Gomarsall; A Windo, A van Niekerk (rep: C Fortey, 34), T Taumoepeau, P Murphy, C Gillies, K Horstmann, P Sanderson (rep: T Harding, 41), D Hickey.
Referee: S Davey.
Attendance: 9,058.