Worcester picked up four valuable Gallagher Premiership points with a hard-fought 20-13 victory over Harlequins in a disappointing game at Sixways.
Worcester’s tries came from Nick Schonert and Ryan Mills, with Duncan Weir converting both and kicking a penalty. Chris Pennell also added a penalty.
Joe Marchant scored an interception try for Harlequins which James Lang converted and kicked a penalty, with Marcus Smith also succeeding with a penalty.
Harlequins dominated the early changes and were rewarded by taking an eighth minute lead when Smith knocked over a simple penalty.
Weir levelled the scores with a more difficult kick but the visitors remained the better side in the opening quarter. They had the lion’s share of possession and territory to look dangerous in the outside channels with the hosts struggling to gain a foothold in the game.
Smith missed a penalty so it was 3-3 at the end of an uneventful first quarter in which the Warriors did not come close to entering the opposition 22.
Worcester lost Weir to a blood injury with Jamie Shillcock introduced but the replacement was badly off target with a straightforward penalty attempt.
Bryce Heem enlivened proceedings with a determined burst but Warriors could not capitalise as they lost the ball at the breakdown but at least it raised the home side from their slumbers.
Weir returned in time to see Worcester take the lead when Schonert finished off a driving line-out. Weir converted, then Smith missed another penalty before Pennell fired over a superb kick from halfway to leave Quins trailing 13-3 at the end of a poor first half.
The visitors made two changes at the interval with Smith and Matt Symons departing to be replaced by Lang and Ben Glynn. Eight minutes later, Danny Care was brought on in place of Charlie Mulchrone in an attempt to provide some spark in Quins’ attack.
The changes did not have any immediate impact on the standard of the play as both sides frittered away possession with erratic passing and aimless kicking.
Quins threw on more substitutes in Francis Saili and David Ward and they were rewarded with their first try when Marchant picked off a Weir pass before running 50 metres and score.
Lang’s conversion made it 13-10 to Warriors at the end of the third quarter before the home side produced their best move of the match, which ended with Mills forcing his way over.
Weir converted and two minutes from time Lang kicked a penalty to secure his side a bonus point.
