Match Report: Worcester Warriors Women take Harlequins scalp in season opener
Worcester Warriors Women began their Premier 15s in commanding fashion as they ran out 14-28 victors over a stuttering Harlequins Women side at the Twickenham Stoop.
Harlequins were rattled in the first half as two early tries from Warriors’ El Febrey and Vicky Laflin and poor discipline throughout saw Worcester lead 0-14 at the break.
And despite two second half scores from debutant Bryony Cleall and Lucy Heryet the home side were unable to make up the difference, tries from Charlotte Wright Haley and a scorching second from Laflin sealed a famous win for Worcester on the road.
Worcester started the game at a canter, an early attacking spell securing them a lineout in the opposition 22. A powerful driving maul from the visiting pack followed, with hooker Febrey peeling off to cross for the opening score of the game in the 4th minute.
Harlequins looked to reply quickly, winning a penalty square in front of the posts in the 10th minute. However, as fly-half Emily Scott pulled her attempt left of the posts, Quins misfortunes began.
Just six minutes later Worcester once again found their way across the Quins try-line. A deft grubber from Vicky Foxwell was chased down by captain Laflin, beating Quins fullback Freya Aucken to gather the ball for their second.
Foxwell duly converted to take the scores to 0-14 inside 16 minutes.
The home side enjoyed much of the possession for the remainder of the half but struggled to find a foothold in the game as discipline and simple unforced errors cost them.
Quins found themselves five meters out from the Worcester line in the 21st minute but fell foul of the first of many turnovers at the breakdown. Minutes later the home side found a gap in midfield and looked like they were through at the line, but the ball was knocked on by centre Ellie Green.
Quins tried to inject pace into game, but they gave away far too many unforced errors as the visitors defence held strong.
A beautiful offload from Katy Mew provided Quins with yet another opportunity at the line in the 34th minute, but it was a similar story as they conceded a holding on penalty meters from the try-line.
Worcester came so close to extending their lead with the clock in the red, but a knock-on from the visitors as they swung the ball wide squandered a sure scoring opportunity with plenty of numbers on the right wing.
The scoreboard read 0-14 at the break.
Harlequins looked much better in the opening minutes of the second half, enjoying much of the possession and exploiting the wide channels to pull apart the Worcester defence.
It took them just nine minutes to get their first points on the board. A Harlequins lineout got them to within five meters, debutant Cleall crashing over in the 49th minute.
But Worcester hit straight back. Some persistent carrying from the pack saw flanker Charlotte Wright Haley find her way across the line just a couple of minutes later.
Possession was regularly exchanged as both sides attacked with real pace and power, but each cancelled out the other’s intent.
But the stalemate was broken by Worcester in the 70th minute, an electric break from Laflin on the left flank saw her weave her way past the scrambling Quins defenders, extending her side’s lead to 21 points.
The home side refused to go down easy, however. Quins made their way back up the other end and hammered on the Worcester door, flanker Lucy Heryet finally making her way across the line in the 72ndminute. The following conversion brought the score to 14-28.
Second half persistence was simply not enough for Harlequins, their lack of accuracy and failure to convert chances to points in the first half ultimately costing them.
Given their league status was in doubt in the not too distant past, Worcester will be delighted with the win after two losses to Harlequins last season.
