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53 - Members Have Read This Match Report

FORTRESS SIXWAYS — THE CHAMPIONS ARE BACK

There couldn't have been many better ways for Worcester Warriors to begin the defence of their Championship title than by putting 40 points past the very team they defeated in last season's final. Bedford arrived at Sixways with every reason to believe they could make life uncomfortable for the champions, and for long periods they had plenty of possession and spent considerable time inside the Worcester half. But there was a big difference between having the ball and actually getting through the Warriors' defence.

And that defence was immense.

From the opening whistle, the Warriors tackled with a ferocity that made every Bedford attack look harder than it probably felt from the visitors' side of the pitch. Bedford moved the ball, they carried, they tried to build pressure, but Worcester simply kept hitting them. One tackle became another, the defensive line reset and Bedford were forced to start again. It was a wonderful example of how a team can dominate a game without necessarily dominating possession. Sometimes the best way to control a match is to let the opposition have the ball and then make absolutely certain they don't enjoy having it.

The other force of the afternoon was in the stands. The Sixways crowd was magnificent and, quite frankly, didn't appear to have been issued with an off switch. “Warriors, Warriors, Warriors…” rang around the stadium, followed by “Come on you Warriors, come on you Warriors, come on you Warriors.” It went on all afternoon. Bedford must have wondered at times whether they had accidentally wandered into a very large karaoke competition where the only two songs on the playlist were Warriors songs.

They probably won't be rushing to request an encore.

A PLATFORM BUILT ON POWER

Worcester's forwards set the tone early, and Austin Wallis twice finished from a powerful rolling maul to establish a 12–0 half-time lead. Bedford certainly weren't out of the contest, but every time they tried to turn possession into pressure, the Warriors' defence stood firm.

That was the most encouraging feature of the first half. Worcester weren't simply surviving periods without the ball; they were using those periods to demonstrate their defensive strength. Bedford could spend several phases inside the Warriors' half, but the closer they got to the Worcester line, the harder it became to make any progress. The tackling was powerful, organised and relentless, and it gave the Warriors the confidence to wait for their opportunities rather than forcing the game.

After half-time, those opportunities began to arrive more frequently. Louis Brown finished a long attacking movement for Worcester's third try, before Will Trewin added another as the Warriors began to pull away. Bedford continued to have their moments and deserve credit for continuing to play positively, but Worcester were increasingly controlling the important areas of the match.

The final stages then became something of a celebration. Hallam Chapman crossed twice late on, including with the final play, while Bedford eventually found a consolation try through Lucas Titherington. The final score of 40–5 gave Worcester five valuable Championship points and left Bedford facing a rather longer journey home than they might have anticipated.

A CHAMPIONSHIP STATEMENT

There was plenty to admire in the performance, but it was the combination of power and defensive determination that stood out. The rolling maul was a genuine weapon, the forwards provided a strong platform and when Bedford did have the ball, Worcester's tackling ensured that possession rarely translated into sustained danger.

That matters over a Championship season. There will be matches when Worcester have most of the ball and can play their attacking rugby; there will be others when they have to spend long periods defending. Saturday demonstrated that they are capable of being the dominant side in either situation.

Bedford deserve credit, too. They didn't stop trying, even when the scoreboard began to get away from them, and their willingness to keep attacking meant that Worcester were properly tested. This was not a poor Bedford side being swept aside by a team that had everything its own way. It was a competitive side encountering a Worcester team that was simply more ruthless when the important moments arrived.

For the Warriors, that is a very satisfying way to begin the new campaign.

THE FORUM VERDICT

Forty points, six tries, five Championship points and a clean bill of health from what was a highly physical opening encounter. Not a bad afternoon's work.

The pre-season had given us glimpses of what this squad might be capable of, but this was the first opportunity to see the champions in a competitive fixture. The answer was emphatic. There is still a long way to go and plenty of difficult afternoons ahead, but Worcester have made their intentions clear.

The title is ours.

Everybody else now wants to take it from us.

Good.

Let them come.

NEXT UP — ROTHERHAM

And now we welcome an old friend — and an old rival — back to Sixways.

Rotherham Titans.

There is considerably more history between these two clubs than a fixture list can possibly explain. Long before Worcester finally reached the Premiership in 2004, Rotherham were one of the clubs standing in our way. We had some tremendous battles at Sixways and up at Clifton Lane, with promotion ambitions, league positions and occasionally the temperature of the supporters all running rather high.

Those were proper Championship battles.

And for some of us, the best part of Saturday's result is knowing that next weekend brings another opportunity to renew some old friendships. We're looking forward to hooking up again with some of the passionate Rotherham supporters who have been part of those battles over the years — “TommyRoth”, “rotherhamtilidie”, The Bishop and “Rothman”.

There are supporters on both sides who remember exactly what these games used to mean.

So welcome back, Rotherham.

Bring the team. Bring the supporters. Bring the memories.

We'll bring the noise.

Because if Saturday was anything to go by, Fortress Sixways is open for business.

And if the Warriors supporters can produce another afternoon of “Warriors, Warriors, Warriors…” and “Come on you Warriors…”, Rotherham are going to know they've arrived somewhere rather special.

See you at Sixways.

COME ON YOU WARRIORS!