Worcester Warriors 17-12 Sale Sharks, Aviva Premiership, September 3
Warriors will not rest on laurels
ESPNscrum Staff
September 3, 2011
Worcester Warriors fly-half Andy Goode gives the thumbs-up, Worcester Warriors v Sale Sharks, Aviva Premiership, Sixways Stadium, Worcester, England, September 3, 2011
Warriors fly-half Andy Goode played his part in Worcester's winning return to the Premiership © Getty Images
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Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership
Grounds: Sixways

Worcester coach Richard Hill celebrated a winning return to the Aviva Premiership but revealed he was disappointed by the number of errors from his players in the victory over Sale.

The Warriors picked up a well-earned 17-12 victory, scoring the only two tries of the game. The hosts were awarded a penalty try and touched down through Miles Benjamin. Andy Goode converted both and also kicked a penalty. The boot of Nick MacLeod provided all the points for the visitors to Sixways, kicking three penalties and a drop goal, and Hill felt his side should have done more to punish Sale for their lack of threat going forward.

"We definitely deserved to win the game. We played with plenty of enthusiasm but this was littered with mistakes," Hill said. "We should have won the game by far more and we must show more composure."

Worcester were down 6-0 with the first half coming to a close but went in ahead at the break after Benjamin crossed for the touchdown and Goode converted. "That try was vital. It was important that we went ahead at half-time," Hill added. "We lacked composure. We made plenty of line breaks but didn't finish them off. The win will settle us down and we will be a little bit more relaxed next week."

Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond was not too downhearted by his team's display, bearing in mind that they had conceded over 60 points to Gloucester in their last Premiership fixture in May. Diamond, who has seen his side hit by international call-ups, said: "We've come a long way in the last three or four months. We were out-muscled today in the scrums but we have seven forwards out in the World Cup."

Diamond was able to look at the good points in his side's display, particularly the possession given to the backs in the opening quarter. Will Addison and Andrew Higgins could have been even more potent against the Warriors defence had they been given as much of the ball later in the game.

"There are a lot of positives. We played some attractive rugby," insisted Diamond. "The players are disappointed but our aim was to come away with a bonus point which we achieved."

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