Worcester 12-26 Wasps: Visitors back to second in the Premiership table
Last Updated: 04/12/16 5:38pm
Wasps reclaimed second place in the Aviva Premiership after they shrugged off a number of injuries to beat Worcester 26-12 at Sixways Stadium.
Rob Miller kicked 16 points at fly-half in the absence of the injured Danny Cipriani, while centre Brendan Macken and scrum-half Dan Robson scored tries to keep Wasps tucked closely behind league-leaders Saracens ahead of a return to European competition.
Worcester, though, suffered a seventh defeat of the Premiership campaign and remain in 11th spot as they build towards a crucial clash against bottom club Bristol at Ashton Gate on Boxing Day.
Four Jamie Shillcock penalties and dominate second-half field position proved insufficient to threaten Wasps, with the visitors' superior game-management underpinning a comfortable victory.
Wasps suffered a late injury blow when Cipriani withdrew due to a calf strain, so Miller took the No 10 shirt while full-back Piers O'Connor made his Premiership debut. In addition to their England internationals, Wasps were also without injured pair Jimmy Gopperth and Kyle Eastmond.
The visitors were out of the blocks immediately as Shillcock's pass was intercepted on the halfway line by Macken, and he sprinted clear for the opening try. Miller converted before Shillcock and Miller exchanged penalties making it 10-3 to Wasps after just six minutes.
Macken's try after 51 seconds was the quickest in the Premiership this season, but Worcester were not fazed by such an early setback as another Shillcock penalty - awarded following a Wasps scrummaging infringement - kept the Warriors in touch.
Shillcock completed his penalty hat-trick as Worcester enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure, while Wasps also required some last-ditch tackling to keep out Warriors wing Cooper Vuna when he spearheaded a thrilling counter-attack.
Two further Miller penalties restored a seven-point advantage for Wasps, but Shillcock also continued to punish any indiscretion, and a long-range penalty cut the deficit before Miller cancelled it out to give the visitors a 19-12 half-time lead.
Wasps began the second period with another quick-fire score, this time for Robson, who skipped his way through a weak Worcester defence inside Warriors' 22 for a try that Miller converted, putting daylight between the teams for the first time.
Worcester, though, continued to enjoy their share of territory, and they looked to free Vuna, comfortably their most potent attacking weapon, at every opportunity before switching possession wide following another of his trademark bursts, but referee Craig Maxwell-Keys rightly ruled out the try for a forward pass.
It served as a reminder to Wasps that Worcester were still in the hunt, and even with a 14-point advantage, they knew the game was not safe entering the closing 15 minutes.
But Worcester did not help themselves, lacking accuracy in attack and often looking like a team short on confidence as they snatched at opportunities when Wasps found their defence creaking.
The visitors, in contrast, had no such problems, and even though it was far from a vintage performance, it proved a case of job done.
