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SIXWAYS READY FOR A SPECIAL AFTERNOON
An old rivalry, a new generation and one unforgettable afternoon at Sixways
There are rugby afternoons when you leave the ground knowing you have watched a good game of rugby, and then there are afternoons when you know you have been part of something special. Today at Sixways was very definitely the latter. The stadium was packed and rocking long before kick-off, with music, singing and cheering creating that wonderful sense of anticipation that only a big rugby afternoon can bring. Everywhere you looked there were supporters enjoying themselves, old friends meeting up, families arriving together and the noise steadily building as the players prepared to take the field. There was also something rather special about seeing Rotherham Titans back at Sixways, because for those who remember the old days, these two clubs once shared a rivalry that was at the very heart of English second-tier rugby.
Those battles for promotion created some wonderful memories, but today was not about trying to recreate the past. It was about two clubs writing another chapter in their history, with a new generation of players and supporters making their own memories. When both teams emerged to huge ovations, the reception from both sets of supporters told its own story. There was respect for the occasion, excitement about the game ahead and, perhaps most importantly, a feeling that everyone was simply delighted to be there. The anticipation was palpable as Will Reed prepared to kick off for the Warriors, and within minutes it was clear that nobody was going to be disappointed.
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A BLISTERING START FROM BOTH SIDES
Rotherham came out with exactly the attitude you would expect from a side determined to show that they belong back in the Championship. They started at tremendous pace, carrying strongly and putting the Warriors under pressure, but Worcester gradually began to find their rhythm. Once they did, the ball was being moved from one point of attack to another almost as quickly as you could blink. The forwards were making the hard yards and creating the platform, while the backs were already looking for the gaps appearing elsewhere. After some determined pressure from the pack, Cam Neil forced his way over for the opening try and Will Reed added the conversion to give Worcester a 7–0 lead after just four minutes. It was a perfect start, but Rotherham immediately demonstrated that they had not travelled to Sixways simply to make up the numbers.
The Titans responded with some excellent team rugby of their own, carrying the ball with purpose and eventually finding a way through the Warriors defence for a well-earned try to level the score at 7–7. The game was now moving from end to end and neither side was able to dominate for long. Worcester regained the lead when they sucked the Rotherham defence towards one side before spinning the ball wide to Siva Naulago, who found space out on the right and finished brilliantly to make it 12–7. For the next nine minutes there was some tough, hard Championship rugby, with both sides making ground and then occasionally undoing their good work with errors that allowed the opposition back into the contest. Rotherham gradually regained the upper hand and in the 21st minute full-back Isaac Shaw finished an excellent attack to bring the Titans level once more at 12–12. It was turning into a fascinating contest and, for those supporters who had arrived expecting a competitive afternoon, the game was delivering everything they could have wished for.
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WARRIORS FIND ANOTHER GEAR
Then Worcester found another gear. It wasn't quite top gear yet, but fourth gear was more than enough to change the entire complexion of the afternoon. The Warriors suddenly began moving the ball with greater speed and precision, stretching the Rotherham defence and turning pressure into points with remarkable efficiency. Siva Naulago crossed again in the 26th minute, Jake Garside followed three minutes later and the atmosphere inside Sixways began to rise with every attack. Rotherham were defending desperately, but Worcester were now finding space and exploiting it, and when Naulago completed his hat-trick in the 36th minute the supporters were beginning to realise that they were watching something rather special. Just two minutes later Will Trewin crossed again, giving Worcester four tries in a devastating 12-minute spell and taking the score from 12–12 to 38–12. Three of those tries had been converted and, just as importantly, the Warriors had secured the try bonus point under this season's scoring system.
HALF-TIME: 38–12 — A GAME CHANGING
At half-time there was plenty for both sets of supporters to reflect upon. Rotherham had played their part magnificently and had shown exactly why they had earned their return to the Championship, while Worcester had demonstrated the devastating attacking quality that can emerge when this team finds momentum. Hallam Chapman, Siva Naulago, Will Reed and Tom Savage had all stood out during the first half, but perhaps the most encouraging aspect was that this wasn't a performance being carried by one or two individuals. Everywhere you looked another Warrior was making a tackle, winning a collision, offering himself as a passing option or bursting into space. It was beginning to feel like a complete team performance, and the question for the second half was whether Rotherham could find a way back into the game.
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ROTHERHAM FIGHT BACK
To their enormous credit, the Titans came out after the interval determined to prove that they were not going to surrender. For almost 20 minutes they kept Worcester scoreless, producing some fierce tackling, powerful forward play and some dangerous attacking rugby of their own. There was plenty of talking on the field and plenty of pressure being applied, and Rotherham simply refused to lie down. The final score might suggest a one-sided contest, but anybody watching those opening stages of the second half would know that Rotherham made the Warriors work hard. They were still competing for every ball and every metre, and they deserved great credit for continuing to play with such determination despite the scoreboard.
THE WARRIORS' FITNESS BEGINS TO TELL
Slowly, though, the difference in conditioning began to tell. Worcester are a fully professional side, training four days a week, and as the game moved beyond the hour mark the Warriors were able to maintain the pace while Rotherham were having to make tackle after tackle. The movement became faster, the support runners appeared earlier and the gaps began to open. Once Worcester finally broke through again, the floodgates opened, and what followed was perhaps the most exhilarating rugby of the afternoon. Tim Anstee added another try before James Cherry crossed for his first try for the club, giving him a particularly memorable moment on an afternoon already filled with them. Then came a lovely family moment as Alfie Garside joined his brother Jake on the scoresheet, before Rory Taylor followed, Jake Garside crossed again for his second and Juan Gonzalez completed the second-half scoring.
SIXWAYS ERUPTS AS WARRIORS REACH 78
Six second-half tries had transformed an already impressive afternoon into something quite extraordinary. When the final whistle eventually sounded, the scoreboard read Worcester Warriors 78–12 Rotherham Titans, and there was a mixture of delight and disbelief around Sixways. Twelve Warriors tries, a hat-trick for Naulago, two for Jake Garside and a first Warriors try for Cherry were among the headlines, but the bigger story was the manner in which Worcester had eventually overwhelmed a Rotherham side that had competed honestly and passionately throughout. Two games into the Championship season, the Warriors had now scored 118 points and conceded just 17, following the opening-day 40–5 victory over Bedford, and a very clear message had been sent to the rest of the division.
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A TEAM FULL OF STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
It is also difficult to choose individual stars from a performance in which all 23 players played their part. Hallam Chapman was again outstanding, Tim Anstee continued to demonstrate his quality, Fraser Balmain produced another hugely influential performance and Will Reed was excellent throughout. Siva Naulago's second hat-trick in two games is an astonishing start to the season, while Jake Garside's two tries and Will Trewin's contribution added further attacking threat. Yet perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to them is that none of those performances happened in isolation. The work of the entire squad created the opportunities, maintained the pressure and allowed the individual brilliance to flourish. When you score 78 points, it is easy to concentrate on the try scorers, but this was a victory built on the collective effort of the whole team.
THE SUPPORTERS MAKE IT AN OCCASION
And then there were the supporters. As the Warriors began to take complete control during the final 20 minutes, the noise inside Sixways became almost deafening. Every break brought another roar, every tackle another surge of noise and every try seemed to lift the volume another notch. By the closing stages it genuinely felt as though the old stadium was shaking to its foundations. Yet one of the nicest things about the afternoon was that the atmosphere was not created by Worcester supporters alone. Rotherham had brought their own following and they contributed to the occasion with singing, cheering and plenty of good-natured banter. There was a real sense that two groups of rugby supporters had come together to enjoy the occasion, and although they were obviously hoping for very different results, both sets were able to enjoy the fun, excitement and sheer spectacle of the afternoon.
That is perhaps where the old rivalry fitted into today's story. It was there, in the background, adding a little extra meaning to the occasion, but it never overwhelmed what was happening on the field. This wasn't about settling old scores or trying to recreate yesterday. It was simply wonderful to see Rotherham back at Sixways, wonderful to see their supporters enjoying themselves and wonderful to see Worcester supporters having such a memorable afternoon. Rugby is at its best when there is passion, noise, colour, competition and a bit of good-natured rivalry, and today had all of those things in abundance.
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PARTY TIME AT SIXWAYS
And remarkably, the final whistle didn't bring the afternoon to an end. The Warriors players stayed out on the pitch, mixing with supporters, talking, laughing and enjoying the occasion with the people who had spent the afternoon roaring them on. They made a particular effort with the younger fans, stopping to speak to them, having a laugh and encouraging them to take up the sport and continue supporting the Warriors. Those moments are important because they help create the next generation of players and supporters, and they demonstrate that the relationship between the team and the people in the stands is about far more than what happens for 80 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.
Back in the Supporters' Meeting Area, The Group opened up again and the bars were open, allowing everyone to carry on enjoying the afternoon. It really did become Party Time at Sixways, with supporters, families and friends able to celebrate together and players still around to share in the atmosphere. Great credit to the club for creating that environment. After everything Worcester Warriors have been through, afternoons like this are about much more than a rugby result. They are about rebuilding the sense of community around the club and reminding everyone just how much fun being a Warriors supporter can be.
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NEXT STOP: RICHMOND
Eventually, though, every party has to end and attention now turns to the next challenge, with Worcester travelling to Richmond and the Richmond Athletic Ground. It is a venue that holds happy memories for this Warriors squad because when they travelled there last season they came away with a hard-earned 41–29 victory. That was a very different sort of afternoon to today, a much tighter contest in which Richmond continued to threaten throughout, but Worcester showed the quality and composure needed to eventually pull clear. Siva Naulago scored twice that day, and the Warriors returned home with another important away victory in the campaign.
There will be no complacency this time. Richmond will provide another challenge and the Warriors will have to work hard all over again, but they will make the journey knowing they have already won at the Athletic Ground and knowing that this squad is beginning to develop the confidence and understanding needed to play the fast, ambitious rugby that Matt Everard and his coaching team are demanding. After the opening two rounds, Worcester have given the Championship plenty to think about, but there is a long way to go and plenty more tests ahead.
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THE JOURNEY HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN
For now, though, let's simply enjoy this one. An old opponent returned to Sixways, two sets of supporters created a fantastic atmosphere, Rotherham played their part and 23 Warriors produced a breathtaking second-half performance that sent thousands of supporters home smiling. Forty points against Bedford, 78 against Rotherham, 118 scored and only 17 conceded — and, perhaps most importantly, a Sixways crowd that is once again singing, laughing and believing.
The Warriors are back, Sixways is rocking and the journey has only just begun.
Bring on Richmond.
COME ON YOU WARRIORS!
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