Nanai sees red as Gloucester thump Warriors
PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Melani Nanai’s sending off proved decisive and costly for Worcester Warriors as they went down 15-44 to Gloucester at home on Saturday.
Nanai was shown a red card after only 18 minutes for a high tackle on Jonny May which left Warriors to play more than three-quarters of the match with 14 men.
The Warriors were leading 5-0 when Nanai departed thanks to a second-minute try from Ted Hill in his first match as the club’s youngest-ever captain.
The Warriors did well to restrict Gloucester to just a seven points lead at the break but it became increasingly difficult to contain their pacy backs in the second half although Scott van Breda managed to score a consolation try.
With social distancing regulations in place to prevent the spread of Coronavirus the match was played behind closed doors although non-playing members of Warriors’ squad seated in the South Stand did their best to replicate the Sixways Roar.
They were on their feet after just two minutes after Sam Lewis put Gloucester under pressure with a strong run down the left, Warriors patiently built the pressure and Hill powered over for an unconverted try.
Billy Searle tried to extend the lead when he took a penalty from halfway but his kick fell just short of the target and Nanai, playing at fullback for the first time, gave a glimpse of his exciting talent when he ghosted through a couple of tackles and delivered a neat off-load.
But Nanai departed soon after as referee Christophe Ridley and TMO Keith Lewis studied footage of his challenge on May who failed his head injury assessment.
Billy Twelvetrees added to the punishment by kicking the resulting penalty but Warriors showed their character by winning a penalty, kicking it to the corner and launching a series of close range forward drives.
Gloucester conceded a penalty under pressure which Searle stroked over to open up a five points lead.
But Gloucester were level again within five minutes when they made their numerical advantage count by working former Warriors hooker Jack Singleton, on a season-long loan from Saracens, over for a try on his return to Sixways.
Twelvetrees missed the conversion but made no mistake with another touchline conversion after Gloucester had kicked a penalty to the opposite corner, won the lineout and given Ollie Thorley an easy run-in.
The tries came thick and fast in the second half with Thorley crossing again followed by Louis Rees-Zammit, Jason Woodward and Stephen Varney with Van Breda powering over eight minutes from time.
The scorers:
For Worcester Warriors:
Tries: Hill, Van Breda
Con: Weir
Pen: Searle
For Gloucester:
Tries: Singleton, Thorley, Rees-Zammit, Woodward, Clarke, Varney
Cons: Twelvetrees 4
Pens: Twelvetrees 2
Red card: Melani Nanai (Worcester Warriors, 18)
Worcester: 15 Melani Nanai, 14 Tom Howe, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Scott van Breda, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Matt Kvesic, 7 Sam Lewis, 6 Ted Hill (captain), 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Niall Annett, 1 Ethan Waller.
Replacements: 16 Beck Cutting, 17 Lewis Holsey, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 GJ van Velze, 20 Cornell du Preez, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Francois Venter.
Gloucester: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Ollie Thorley, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Jonny May, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Jake Polledri, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 Freddie Clarke, 4 Ed Slater, 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Jack Singleton, 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin.
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Logovi’i Mulipola, 18 Jack Stanley, 19 Matt Garvey, 20 Jack Clement, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Tom Seabrook, 23 Louis Rees-Zammit.
Referee: Christophe Ridley
Assistant referees: Andrew Jackson and Wayne Falla
TMO: Keith Lewis
Source: @WorcsWarriors