How Worcester took 99 minutes to beat 11 men!
REFEREE Ian Tempest was at the eye of a storm on Saturday as Worcester won one of craziest Premiership matches ever in the 99th minute while Bath were down to 11 men.
The visitors had led 19-3 at half-time but then saw substitute hooker Ross Batty sent off on 63 minutes for a high tackle. But Worcester were still trailing 19-14 when 80 minutes were up and the chaos started.
In total, there were nine scrums and three further yellow cards in the 19 extra minutes of play in a second half that lasted over an hour. Bath were penalised 14 times to Worcester’s one in the second half.
Here is how the remarkable added time played out:
80 MINS: Bath are called offside and Worcester take the scrum five metres out under the posts.
85 MINS: Two scrum penalties and a reset when the front rows stand up, later Worcester finally release the ball but Bath replacement prop Max Lahiff kills it at a ruck after three phases and is sent to the sin-bin. Bath are down to 13.
86 MINS: Worcester opt for the scrum again from the penalty, as they need a converted try to win, but Bath do not have a full front row so have to sacrifice full back James Wilson for prop Henry Thomas who returns having been taken off 20 minutes earlier.
89 MINS: Two more scrum penalties in the same area against Bath see prop Lucas Noguera Paz the latest to be yellow-carded. Tempest still does not award a penalty try.
No8 Zach Mercer is then subbed for front-rower Jacques van Rooyen — Bath have seven in the pack and 12 on the field.
96 MINS: The eighth scrum in added time — after multiple resets — is completed, Worcester attack but Bath centre Aled Brew hits Ryan Mills high and the ball is spilled. After consulting the TMO Stuart Terheege, Tempest rules out a penalty try for an illegal tackle but pings Brew for offside — and sinbins him too.
99 MINS: With Bath down to 11, Jamie Roberts goes into the final scrum meaning his side are left with just four backs. Worcester go left and score through Bryce Heem. Duncan Weir has the kick to win it 10 metres left of the posts and 25m back — he gets it and the Warriors win 21-19.
Worcester director of rugby Alan Solomons said: ‘I’ve not seen anything like that before and I’ve been coaching for a long time.’ DYLAN HARTLEY may not play before England’s Six Nations opener against Ireland as he struggles with a knee injury.
The Northampton hooker, 32, is out with what his director of rugby Chris Boyd described as a ‘grumbly’ knee.
While the New Zealander does not know the extent of the injury, he is being managed closely.
‘He might not play again for the club before going into England camp,’ said Boyd. Eddie Jones picks his England squad on January 17 before the Ireland match in Dublin on February 2.