Bristol ladies put in a winning performance

Worcester Ladies 22 Bristol Ladies 36

Worcester may have expected more from this game following the encouraging performance at Saracens the previous week, but once again some last minute team changes saw the home side fielding players out of position.

Worcester battled gamely throughout but were on the back foot for the majority of the game and had no real answers to the penetrative pace of Bristol’s Waterman, Mason and Gregson, who eased past the back three far too often.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 8^th minute when a missed tackle allowed Gregson to show her skill and pace, Brown taking the extras. Worcester’s Naomi Henri was injured in attempt to stop the Bristol score, a double blow for the home side.

On ten minutes Worcester entered the visitors 22 for the first time and powerful work by the forwards was rewarded with a try from Laura Keates, however, the home side then spent the majority of the remaining time in the half defending, mostly an onslaught of Bristol attack which saw Wilson-Hardy, with two tries and a second from Gregson to add to the home sides problems.

On the stroke of half time, Worcester found themselves once more in the opposition 22 and a dominant driving maul was finished by Keates with Ceri Large taking the extras.

The second half followed much of the same pattern, with Gregson complete her hat trick.

The hard working Rochelle Clark repeated the now familiar pattern of a forward try on Worcester’s third visit to the Bristol 22, and at 17 -31, the home side perhaps had some expectation of a comeback. However,  a basic error gifted Rachel Taylor Bristol’s 6th try, to put the game out reach for Worcester, but they did finish  with yet another forward try from Rhiannon Watkins.

From Worcester’s perspective this was a game in which they played well in some moments, but gave Bristol too much possession with poor handling and defence.

Worcester make the long journey to DMP Sharks (Darlington) next Sunday and will be looking to get back to winning ways. For Bristol, their well-deserved victory now places them in a more comfortable league position.