Nottingham 19-26 Worcester: Tight win for Warriors youngsters

Hammond made eight appearances for Worcester in the Premiership last season

Worcester Warriors' young side came from behind at Meadow Lane as they got their British & Irish Cup campaign off to a winning start against Nottingham.

The home side led 16-10 at the break after loose forward Matthew Everard's converted try was embellished by three penalties from fly-half Dan Mugford.

Three Tiff Eden penalties tied it up at 19-19 with eight minutes left.

But centre Dean Hammond ran in a second try of the afternoon, Eden adding the conversion to complete a 16-point haul.

Eden had earlier converted Hammond's first try in the second minute, as well as kicking a late first-half penalty.

Mugford also kicked a second-half penalty for a 14-point individual tally with the boot.

Warriors had the bulk of their Monday night Cavaliers side on duty in for their second meeting with Nottingham in a fortnight.

Scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier captained the team on his debut, while lock forward Shay Kerry and back-row forward Huw Taylor also took their bow.

Prop Jack Cosgrove and flanker Andrew Boyce, who made a crucial late try-saving tackle, both made their first start, while Ben Sowrey made a second-half appearance and 19-year-old student Matt Perks was on the bench.

Worcester are again in B&I Cup action for the next two weekends, with a home game against Munster A being followed by the trip to face Midlands neighbours Moseley on 25 October.

Warriors do not return to Championship action again until 7 November, when they host Bedford at Sixways.

Nottingham: Bullivant; Venus, Cox, Pohe, O'Neill; Mugford, Smit; Porter, Vickers, Carey, Eames, Montagu, Cooper, Everard, Calladine.

Replacements: Holford, Brownlie, Barron, Laxton, Lee-Everton, Lynn, Mawaqalive.

Worcester: Humphreys; Stephenson, Hammond, Stelling, Watkins; Eden, Bruzulier (capt); Cosgrove, Annett, Daniels, Kerry, O'Shea, de Carpentier, Boyce, Taylor.

Replacements: Sowrey, Fainga'anuku, Rees, Perks, de Cothi, Fatiaki, Hughes.