Warriors brushed aside after Nanai’s early red
MELANI Nanai’s red card ruined Jonny May’s comeback and any chance Worcester had of returning from lockdown with a derby win.
The Samoan full-back crashed into May in the 18th minute with a headhigh shoulder charge which ended the wing’s game and allowed Gloucester to run riot with six tries.
Nanai’s sending off continued the Samoan’s miserable first season for Worcester following a serious shoulder injury that ruled him out from early November.
Worcester’s director of rugby Alan Solomons said: “It’s very difficult to comment on the sending off as I haven’t had any opportunity to look at any replays. Christophe Ridley is an excellent referee and he had the benefit of seeing a number of reviews.
“There is no doubt that it had a massive impact on the game as it happened after only 18 minutes and it’s very difficult to play for more than an hour with 14 men – especially after you have had five months off.”
Gloucester looked halfasleep in the opening quarter but Nanai’s dismissal was the catalyst for them to display their talents.
Back row Jake Polledri, out of favour earlier in the season, excelled with some powerful bursts and his front five ensured the visitors took full advantage of their numerical superiority.
Danny Cipriani displayed moments of magic to create two of the tries with wings Ollie Thorley and Louis Rees-Zammit huge threats to a beleaguered defence. How May must have wished he had been able to resume for he would have enjoyed the open spaces.
Nanai’s dismissal crushed Worcester although Ollie Lawrence continued his progress with a couple of line-breaks but the likes of Ted Hill and Matt Kvesic were always fighting a losing battle in the last hour.
Worcester made a dream start, scoring the opening try within two minutes.
Playing with a penalty advantage, Billy Searle launched a speculative cross-field kick for Hill to collect a favourable bounce and score.
Searle missed the conversion and then a long distance penalty, but Warriors continued to be the better side. They could easily have had a second try when Nanai split the visitors’ defence but Tom Howe was unable to take a difficult pass.
Nanai was then sent off with Billy Twelvetrees kicking the resulting penalty but Worcester initially maintained their dominance and a splendid break from Lawrence secured his side a 5m scrum. From that position the visitors were penalised for Searle to kick an easy goal.
Gloucester then made their advantage count by scoring four tries in 26 minutes to collect their bonus point.
First skilful passing sent Polledri away down the right flank and when the ball was recycled, former Warrior hooker Jack Singleton was on hand to step inside two tackles and bring the scores level.
Twelvetrees and Polledri made telling bursts before a long pass from Cipriani sent Thorley over. Cipriani then created a second for Thorley with a clever crossfield kick before a driving lineout saw Joe Simpson provide Rees-Zammit with an easy run-in.
Worcester conceded a fifth when Jason Woodward raced in from half-way before Warriors’ Scott Van Breda and Gloucester’s replacement, Stephen Varney, concluded proceedings by each scoring their first Premiership try.