Premiership: Bristol 27-5 Worcester Warriors - Toby Fricker's double helps Bears to victory

Noah Heward's spectacular diving try was the highlight of a disappointing Worcester performance

Bristol recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season as they beat Worcester 27-5 in the Premiership.

Toby Fricker and Sam Jeffries went over in the final four minutes of the first half after Worcester had started well.

Noah Heward's acrobatic try got the visitors back into it, but Tom Whiteley extended Bears' lead two minutes later.

Fricker secured a bonus point for Bristol with five minutes to go as Whiteley's kick forward after a tap penalty sent the winger clear.

Bristol leapfrog Worcester and move up to eighth place in the Premiership with the Warriors dropping to second-from-bottom, nine points above last-placed Bath.

Worcester started well and twice thought they had cancelled out an early Callum Sheedy penalty as, first, they were held up over the line after a powerful forward push after 10 minutes and then Jamie Shillcock went over six minutes later, but Heward's pass that sent the full-back in went forward.

Bristol started to increase the pressure as the half wore on, but Worcester defended well as the hosts were held up over the line after 27 minutes.

But Fricker eventually broke their resistance as he scored in the corner after the ball was moved out from a five-metre scrum before Jeffries raced in down the blindside after a Bristol turnover.

Heward's spectacular diving try gave the Warriors brief hope, but their defence melted away as Whiteley raced in from 30 metres out.

Worcester saw Heward limp off just after an hour and Warriors' luck did not get any better when Gareth Simpson had a try disallowed after replays showed a forward pass in the build-up before Fricker's bonus-point score.

Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam:

"I'm happy to take the five points and move on but it was a scrappy game.

"We went 3-0 up and then didn't see the ball for 25 minutes, but we defended very well with our backs holding them up in the tackle and winning turnovers.

"We are seeing bits and pieces and good moments in the game but we are not perfect right now but don't need to be, although we will need to be better in the future.

"It's good that because of injuries, different players are coming in and getting opportunities which will only benefit us in the long run."

Worcester head coach Jonathan Thomas:

"The final scoreline wasn't the correct margin between the sides as the only difference was that they took their opportunities and we didn't as we needed to be more clinical.

"In the first 20 minutes we left 13 points out there by not kicking a couple of penalties with a forward pass ruining a simple run-in and it's vital you take your chances in the Premiership, especially away from home.

"Three of their four tries were soft ones as they were opportunist scores with us coughing up possession to give them those chances.

"We have played eight games so far and have only won two of them but that doesn't reflect the quality of our side."

Bristol: Piutau; Morahan, O'Conour, Leiua, Fricker; Sheedy, Uren; Woolmore, Thacker, Lahiff, Attwood, Joyce, Jeffries, Heenan (capt), Harding.

Replacements: Kerr, Y Thomas, Armstrong, Hawkins, D Thomas, Whiteley, Lloyd, Bates.

Worcester: Shillcock; Humphreys, Venter, Beck, Heward; Smith, Chudley; Waller, Baldwin, Judge, Garvey, Kitchener, Batley, Hill (capt), Kvesic.

Replacements: Annett, M Thomas, Tyack, Clegg, Lewis, Simpson, Searle, Morris.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (RFU).

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