To-night we were entertaining Wasps the European champions and in second place in the ZP with 8 wins out of  10 games.

Phil "The Power" Richards the man who has made the biggest difference to our players, was ready!

The barstanders and Northern Hordes were beside themselves with joy and expectation. the team looked determined and very, very focussed. This was the biggest test yet. Leicester were without 8 players, Wasps saw 5 changes to their first 15 and 2 of those were on the bench in case this upstart club dared to get in the lead.

Maximus was at his best showing off his dancing feet with the NPowerettes. All was looking good as the supporters took to their seats for a massive massive game, NEVER to be forgotten!!!

The scrum was set, "engage" said the ref and they did. Maybe Wasps thought our boys would back down, think again. It will take Chieftain Tanks just to make this front row to even to consider taking a backward step. Windo, Horsman and Collier tough as nails and good enough!!

The first lineout went to Wasps but our boys disrupted it enough to apply pressure onto Richards a center playing scrum-half, good tough runner but not the skills needed unfortunately.

Already we were seeing some big tackles coming in from the rock hard defence of Worcester. Wasps were going to have to work extremely hard to break through this wall of concrete. Rasmussen, Collier, Sanderson were knocking them back of their feet time and time again.

We once again were the team their first and taking every 50/50 ball, turning over several attacking moves and countering with speed and panache. Giscard Pieters was already showing what we had seen at Reading and Northampton.

In their desire to win every ball hickey stepped in from the side and conceded the first penalty. It was missed shaving the right side of the posts

Worcester were looking comfortable with ball in hand even under pressure, until a delayed clearance by Delport was charged down by Erinle for Abbott to scoop up and score close to the posts.

The crowd went quiet!! How may times had we given the opposition a head start?? Would it affect the players, would Sanderson lead them?? Answer was undoubtedly in both case. The affect on the players was to lift them onto an altogether different plain from Wasps, Sanderson shone like a beacon as lead from a bright shining example of what he wanted from his Warriors. Work, Work and yet more work.

It paid off as the front 5 just eclipsed the Wasps pack and drove them back deep into their own half accompanied by some exquisite running from Sanderson, Rasmussen and Lombard

An attacking situation on the left moved smartly down the line to set up another just to the right of the post as phase after phase of short attacks came at the beleaguered Wasps defenders.

Collier drove and was held up, Sanderson drove and was held up, back the other ways Vaili drove and was held up, Powell had a dart and was denied at the death. Another drive and in cam Rasmussen to lend it support. he was at the back of the drive as he took the ball went right and strained with everything he had, stretched out and there was the line. get it down we all screamed. He DID!! Tommy converted!

Followed by another penalty to make the score

Warriors 10 : 7 Wasps

The volume of support was now deafening as Wasps came back onto the attack, the danger period. The line held as Worcester were everywhere in defence. As soon as the ball was turned over back they came onto the attack, Giscard Pieters was asking some major questions and the Warriors pack were now in total control of the loose and set piece play.

On the attack with some great power surges from Andre Van Neikerk and Sanderson saw Wasps desperately defending their line.

Richard received the ball from his forwards as the Warriors breakaways bore down on him.

His body not lined up he hit a speculative clearance out wide away from his supporting players.

Giscard Pieters caught the ball 5 meters outside their 22 with 5 players coming at him.

As calm as you like he stepped one way then the other, two of them on the floor and floundering. He accelerated through a tackle two more defenders beaten. Stepped round the fifth and accelerated again towards the line. In came Richards, too fast, one hold step and past he went as Giscard went over for a magnificent try.

The crowd as one shot to their feet in a tumult of cheering and stamping. What a score, magnificent

Warriors 17 : 7 Wasps

It did not stop there as Worcester picked up the pace even more as their confidence soared. This Worcester pack is a unit to be feared, now we had the backs firing and Hayes guiding. Take them the crowd roared. They did and rocked them backwards again and again

Yet again Hickey was in there first as he ran in and scooped up the ball, he was off and running at the midfield defence.

As the backrow then caught him he slipped a great ball to that young speedster Tony Windo as he accelerated in just two paces!!!!

On his right and side was the big man Tim Collier storming up into the attack. In the space of a single stride Tony took the ball, committed the defence a slipped a ball to Collier that would do Wilkinson proud.

Tim was off as he stormed on towards the try line!!

At 19 stone of  muscle on the hoof who is going to stop him? The answer was no-one as he stormed to the line. A despairing ankle tap caused him to stutter and fall but the momentum was irresistible as he dived over the line to score the 3rd try of the night

The crowd were on their feet in a split second the noise deafening. Halftime cam as the supporters were still revelling in this super display from the Warriors