Windo score stuns Sarries

A late try from Tony Windo gave Worcester a last-gasp victory at Sixways.

Worcester 25-24 Saracens

Guinness Premiership, Sixways, Saturday September 17

Worcester prop Tony Windo scored a try two minutes into injury time to hand Worcester a last-gasp victory and maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Saracens outscored their hosts by four tries to three to bag two bonus points, but Worcester held their nerve when it mattered with Shane Drahm adding the winning conversion to a pulsating, if ill-tempered contest.

The game threatened to be remembered most for a triple sin-binning on 23 minutes after Saracens lock Kris Chesney sparked a mass brawl with a dangerous lunge on Nicolas Le Roux that could have left the Frenchman badly injured.

But Chesney incredibly escaped with only a yellow card, the same punishment referee Dave Pearson handed out to Saracens scrum-half Alan Dickens
and Worcester hooker Andre Van Niekerk for their part in an ensuing scrap.

But Worcester ultimately ensured that rugby would be the winner, and a 9,000-plus Sixways crowd roared its approval.

Worcester's early territorial dominance should have been rewarded on the scoreboard, but Drahm drifted two 25-metre penalty shots wide, and Saracens
punished them through a 17th-minute try against the run of play.

Warriors scrum-half Andy Gomarsall fumbled possession at the back of a ruck, and Saracens wing Richard Haughton pounced, setting off on a weaving run.

With Worcester's defence at sixes and sevens, fly-half Glen Jackson capitalised on the mayhem and launched an inch perfect cross-kick which Dan Scarbrough pouched.

Saracens though, were fortunate to be ahead, and minutes later, they could only count their blessings that Chesney was not sent off.

Temporarily reduced to 13 men, Saracens found themselves under siege up-front, and Pearson punished the visitors by awarding Worcester a penalty try after
Lions hooker Shane Byrne stood up in the middle of a five-metre scrum.

Drahm slotted the conversion, yet Saracens fancied their chances out wide, and Haughton scampered over for a try 10 minutes before the break that Jackson
improved.

There was a simmering under-current caused by the Chesney incident though, with Worcester clearly aggrieved he had escaped dismissal, and a Drahm penalty
set up an intriguing second period, with Saracens 12-10 ahead.

It took Saracens just four minutes to post another well-worked try, prising open the Worcester defence when Jackson's perfectly timed pass put Thomas Castaignede through.

Worcester had to rediscover their early cohesion and snap, but Saracens knew they could prosper through pace and width, given the attacking threat offered by
players like Haughton and Scarbrough.

Warriors had to keep the dangermen quiet, and they hauled themselves back into contention when Hickey galloped over on a 15-metre dash to the corner, but Drahm missed another kick, landing his conversion attempt well short.

Pearson ruled uncontested scrums for the closing quarter after Saracens lost props Broster and Kevin Yates through injuries. It was an unavoidable decision,
albeit one that stalled Worcester's scrummaging power.

Drahm edged Worcester ahead with 13 minutes left, but Scarbrough then struck for the second time, hoisting Saracens ahead before Windo's glorious late show
produced a memorable finale.