Blow to Sarries Heineken hopes

A comfortable 22-8 victory over Saracens on Saturday saw Worcester condemn Bristol to life in National League One next season.

The win puts Worcester 13 points ahead of Bristol, who lost away to London Irish, leaving them with only 10 available points before the season close.

The defeat for Saracens was their eighth straight away loss in the Premiership this season and leaves their Heineken Cup qualification hopes fading fast.

Worcester, with their destiny in their own hands after suffering two defeats in the last six days - one of them at Bristol, seemed determined to win against a poor Saracens outfit.

Five kicks at goal were the only highlights in a drab first-half which included Saracens fly-half Gordon Ross missing a sitter of a penalty from 25 metres.

Worcester stand-off Matthew Jones showed him how it was done, nailing a massive penalty from the halfway line before Ross missed another 30-metre shot.

A Jones drop-goal attempt from 50 metres also went wide but Worcester went into the break 6-0 up thanks to a 25-metre penalty from Kiwi Willie Walker - on loan from local rivals Gloucester.

Bizarre

Ross cut the deficit immediately with a penalty of his own when Worcester lock Greg Rawlinson was penalised at a ruck.

But Walker restored the hosts' six point lead with a bizarre 30-metre penalty which looked to be drifting miles wide before bending sharply right to split the uprights.

Worcester than stepped up a gear, Walker's fourth penalty coming after a period of pressure on the visitors' line.

And when they attacked again near halfway, centre Alex Grove found a yawning gap and sprinted 40 metres to the posts for the try.

Walker added a simple drop goal in front of the posts but, despite a strong finish from the visitors that saw David Seymour cross from the lineout, they were unable to affect the outcome.

The loss was Saracens eighth straight away Premiership defeat of the season and leaves their Heineken Cup qualification hopes fading fast.