 | MATCH SUMMARY Worcester: (3) 11
Try: Horstmann
Pens: Brown, Drahm Northampton: (3) 15
Tries: Thompson, Cohen
Con: Spencer
Pen: Reihana |
Northampton beat Worcester in appalling conditions at Sixways after the home side had a late try disallowed. The two teams were locked at 3-3 after an attritional opening 62 minutes before Saints hooker Steve Thompson crossed from close range.
Ben Cohen put Saints further ahead when he caught Carlos Spencer's high kick.
Kai Horstmann's try put Worcester back in the game and they thought they had won but Aisea Havili's late score was ruled out because of a forward pass.
The victory was vital for Northampton who now move above Bath at the bottom end of the Premiership table.
But it was a heartbreaking result for Worcester who were forced to defend bravely as Northampton dominated possession and territory.
The game rested on referee Chris White's decision to disallow Havili's try in the corner when he was released by Shane Drahm's long and looping pass.
White and his touch judge ruled the pass as forward but the stunned reaction from Worcester rugby director John Brain on the touchline told its own story.
The game was played out in driving rain and the only scores in the first period came from the boot of Worcester's James Brown and Northampton's Bruce Reihana.
Northampton were camped on the Worcester line for long periods of the opening half and Saints took a stranglehold on the game in the second half when Thompson went over from Reihana's pass.
English centre Jon Clarke was at the heart of the opening try and it was his break that set up the second on 66 minutes, Cohen touching down from Spencer's probing kick to the corner.
Worcester refused to give in and Horstmann cut a superb line to burst through the Saints defence with six minutes left to set up a grandstand finale.
And the Sixways faithful thought they had nicked the points late on only for White to disallow Havili's score.
Worcester head coach Anthony Eddy:
"If it was forward then it's a fair call but if it wasn't forward then it's unfortunate for us. "There is little that can be done about it now. There were a couple of decisions which were made in the game that went to the television official but I didn't ask Shane about it at the end.
"In the second half it was unfortunate we were not able to get the ball for 30 minutes. We were hard done by on other occasions.
"There have been some close games for us in the last couple of weeks even though we have not played particularly well and it was disturbing to lose, but you have to look at the positives."
Northampton assistant coach Paul Grayson:
"You win some and you lose some and this one went for us. "In luck terms, it was one for us. The boys can take great heart from that. It is even more important when you are fighting for a win, you are even more desperate then.
"We made decisive errors to gift them the try. We need to review that game now as four points are in the bag and we need to look forward and not backwards."
Worcester: Delport; Havili, Rasmussen, Lombard, Tucker; Brown, Powell; Windo (capt), Fortey, Taumoepeau; Murphy, Gillies; Horstmann, Tuamoheloa, Hickey.
Replacements: Drahm for Brown (51), Gomarsall for Powell (64), L Fortey for Tuamoepeau (74), O'Donoghue for Murphy (60), Harding for Tuamoheloa (66).
Not Used: Hickie, Whatling.
Northampton: Reihana (co-capt); Lamont, Clarke, Kydd, Rudd; Spencer, Robinson; Smith, Thompson (co-capt), Budgen; Browne, Lord; Tupai, Lewitt, Browne.
Replacements: Vilk for Kydd (64), Cohen for Rudd (40), Emms for Smith (60), Hartley for Budgen (79), Gerard for Lord (60), Seely for D. Browne (60).
Not Used: Howard.
Att: 9,726
Referee: Chris White (RFU)
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
