Worcester Warriors 38-20 Bristol

Worcester (16) 38
Tries: Crockett, Garvey 2, Balding Cons: Goode 3 Pens: Goode 4

Bristol (10) 20
Tries: Watkins, Fatialofa Cons: Little 2 Pens: Little 2

Andy Goode had another good night with the boot, landing seven kicks

Worcester maintained their 100% start as Warriors coach Richard Hill enjoyed victory over his old side Bristol.

Centre Alex Crockett's first-half try against his old club helped the Warriors into a 16-10 interval lead.

Marcel Garvey (2) and Adam Balding then added further tries, Andy Goode adding 18 points with the boot as Hill's men earned a vital bonus point victory.

George Watkins and Junior Fatialofa ran in tries but could not stop Worcester clocking up their seventh straight win.

The four-try victory came in front of the Warriors' biggest crowd of the season at Sixways, 7,474.

And, ahead of next Saturday's trip to Bedford, it stretched Hill's Warriors nine points clear at the top of the Championship table.

Winger Garvey's two tries in four second-half minutes took his tally to four for the season, while Crockett's first of the campaign was constructed by fellow former Bristol player Tom Arscott.

But victory may have come at a cost, flanker Jake Abbott having been taken off before the break with a potentially serious knee injury.

After losing to Exeter in the Championship play-offs in May, thereby missing out on an instant return to the Premiership, Bristol have started off sluggishly.

The defeat keeps a Bristol side who have won just one of their first seven games back in ninth - now 24 points off top spot.

Worcester coach Richard Hill:
"It was a step-up for us from what we've produced in the last six games and we needed it to be too as Bristol were on top of their game.

"That's the best I've seen them play this season. They did not go away and that helped give it the intensity of a Premiership game.

"They scored on the stroke of half-time, which made life difficult for us. Then we had the wind in our faces second half. But the lads showed some character when Bristol were starting to scent victory."

Worcester: Arscott; Garvey, Crockett, Rasmussen, Benjamin; Goode, Arr; Black, Lutui, Taumoepeau, Kitchener, Gillies, Best, Abbott, Horstmann.
Replacements: Shervington, Douglas, Rawlinson, Balding, Williams, Carlisle, Short.

Bristol: Tovey; Adams, Fatialofa, Barnes, Watkins; Little, Bolt; Vunipola, Hayes, Thompson, Glynn, Winters, Grieve, Merriman, Montagu.
Replacements: Johnson, Irish, Sambucetti, Barry, Miller, Alford, Jarvis.

Referee: Llyr Apgeraint-Roberts (RFU).

Attendance: 7,474.