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Worcester look set to receive a welcome boost for this crunch European Rugby Challenge Cup tie with the return of England international Chris Pennell. - 20/10/2016 12:48
Worcester look set to receive a welcome boost for this crunch European Rugby Challenge Cup tie with the return of England international Chris Pennell.
Pennell, who has played 165 times for the Warriors, is expected to play for the first time this season after being sidelined with a neck injury.
And the full-back returns for what is now a crucial match against Pau following last week’s defeat in Russia to Enisei-STM in Pool 3.
“It has been very frustrating to miss the start of the season with injury but now I’m desperate to get out there on the pitch,” said Pennell.
“I’ve been cheering the boys on but it’s not the same when you want to be out there and helping your team so this weekend I’ll certainly be looking to put in a big shift.
“The other youngsters have really stepped up in the absence of some of us senior boys and they’ve been fantastic. That raises the bar across the board.”
Worcester got the better of Brive in the last meeting between these sides, also at Sixways, when a 29-18 victory put the hosts into the semi-final of this competition back in 2009, their last appearance in the knock-out stages of Europe.
Brive, 11 times quarter-finalists in the Challenge Cup, suffered a late collapse at Newport Gwent Dragons in the opening round and head coach Nicholas Godignon is demanding great accuracy against Worcester.
“We need to be more efficient in scrummaging next week. We have to be sharper, more accurate and put more speed in our offensive system. We need to be more positive and look forward,” he said.
“If we want to be ambitious in this competition then we have to look forward. Worcester will be a hard game so we’ll have to see, but I am sure we can do a lot better.
“We were not far away and we were close to winning in the last 20 minutes at Newport. Maybe next week we will not be far away for an hour and win in the last second.”
Match Facts
- Worcester Warriors and Brive are facing off for the fourth time in the competition with Worcester winning two of the previous three meetings (L1).
- Brive have tasted defeat in their last three visits to England in the competition.
- Worcester have lost each of their last six fixtures in the Challenge Cup, failing to score more than 15 points in five of those games.
- Brive have lost each of their last eight Challenge Cup away games – four of the last six saw the TOP 14 side pick up a losing bonus point, however.
Brive got back on track in the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a comeback victory over Worcester Warriors at Sixways. - 22/10/2016 18:11
Brive got back on track in the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a comeback victory over Worcester Warriors at Sixways.
The former European champions held out for a narrow victory that puts them back in the mix in Pool 3 while Worcester, who claimed a losing bonus point in the final seconds thanks to a try by Andy Short, left it too late after letting slip a 17-10 lead.
Brive had raced into an early ten-point lead thanks to USA international Taku Ngwenya’s early try and the boot of Thomas Laranjeira.
It could have been more but the Brive fly-half sliced his drop-goal attempt under pressure from Warriors lock Andrew Kitchener.
Short almost also went close to scoring after an interception by No8 Matt Cox but it was left to the home forwards to claw a way back into the tie, earning a penalty try after Brive pulled own a driving maul that was heading over the try line.
Tom Heathcote converted and then levelled the scores 10-10 early in the second half after Laranjeira missed with a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
There was then real concern for the Warriors when Heathcote had to be carried from the pitch on a stretcher after a heavy challenge.
But Worcester had turned the tables and took the lead for the first time on 57 minutes through summer signing Te’o. Jamie Shillcock’s foot work enabled the full-back to make the initial break. Chris Pennell, in his first game of the season following injury, showed no signs of rustiness with his handling skills and Te’o powered over.
But Worcester took their eye off the ball and allowed Brive to hit back straight away through skipper Said Hireche. Replacement Nicholas Bezy missed the conversion but swiftly made amends when he was successful with a penalty that glanced off the post for a slender 18-17 lead.
Brive were reduced to 14 men for the final ten minutes when lock Jan Uys was shown a yellow card yet the French side still had enough to score next when replacement hooker Thomas Acquier went over.
Bezy held his nerve to slot over the conversion that was to prove decisive as Shillcock and Pennell combined
again for Short’s last-gasp try.
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