Worcester upset Harlequins to win third straight

Worcester recorded three successive Premiership wins for the first time since 2007 after upsetting Harlequins 21-15 at the Stoop.

The Warriors had already defeated Newcastle and Gloucester this month and they added Harlequins' scalp thanks to two first-half tries from Wynand Olivier and GJ van Velze, the latter's a controversial score.

Tom Heathcote added the rest of Worcester's points with the boot while Harlequins could only reply through five Ben Botica penalties as the home side's hopes of securing a Premiership play-off berth suffered another huge blow.

The defeat was Harlequins' seventh in their last nine competitive games and leaves them sixth in the Premiership standings

An out-of-sorts Quins never seriously threatened the Worcester try-line, but did take a fourth-minute lead through Botica's penalty.

Botica and Heathcote then exchanged kicks to leave the scores level at 6-6 before the visitors, having had marginally the better of the opening exchanges, claimed the opening try of the match in the 19th minute.

Worcester put together the first sustained attack of the match and were rewarded when Olivier brushed aside some woeful tackling from Harry Sloan and Ross Chisholm to score.

The Warriors recorded their second try 11 minutes before half-time in controversial circumstances. From a maul on halfway Karl Dickson fed Henry Cheeseman, who raced along the touchline before Francois Hougaard appeared to force him just into touch as the Quins wing threw the ball backwards.

The assistant referee put his flag up and most of the players stopped but Van Velze picked up the loose ball and ran 40 metres to score. The TMO saw no problem with what had occurred and confirmed the try, much to the disgust of the home crowd and the Quins players.

Heathcote converted before Botica fired over his third penalty to leave the home side trailing 18-9 at half-time.

Quins, now aided by a slight wind advantage, began the second half strongly but did not capitalise as Botica was off target with a long-range penalty attempt, allowing the visitors to relieve the early pressure.

The third quarter was frenetic as both sides tried to move the ball around with Charlie Walker and David Ward testing the Worcester defence.

However, the hosts' passing and ball retention was so poor that the Warriors' try-line was never under a period of beseigement and the 20-minute period after half-time remained scoreless.

The introduction of Will Collier at tight-head for Quins gave their scrum a boost forcing the visitors to commit a number of scrummaging infringements, one of which Botica kicked to bring his side back within one score.

In the final seven minutes Heathcote and Botica exchanged penalties but Warriors held on for a deserved win that all but secures their place in the Premiership next season, 17 points clear of bottom-placed London Irish.