Premiership: Worcester 39-5 Newcastle - Crisis club Warriors put aside woes to crush Falcons

Duhan van der Merwe marked his return from injury with Worcester's second try against Newcastle

Worcester Warriors put the serious doubts over their future to one side as they stormed to a deserved victory over Newcastle at an emotional Sixways.

Facing the threat of almost certainly being put into administration, ahead of an appointment with the Rugby Football Union over their finances on Monday, the Warriors proved simply unstoppable.

After trailing to George McGuigan's try, Warriors responded magnificently.

Steve Diamond's side answered with five tries for a memorable bonus-point win.

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Wingers Alex Hearle and Duhan van der Merwe both crossed to put them 15-5 ahead by the break.

Scrum-half Gareth Simpson ran through for a third try. Then, although Scotland and British and Irish Lions wing Van der Merwe had another effort chalked off for a foot in touch, local boy Matt Kvesic came off the bench to score the bonus-point try before lock Joe Batley sealed victory with a late fifth try - to complete Warriors' biggest win in four years.

The Falcons, who like Worcester had lost their first two games this season, were off to a flier when skipper McGuigan capped their early attacking surge by scoring wide out on the right for an unconverted opening try.

But Warriors director of rugby Diamond, who said after the game that the players had voted to play on Friday, had already billed this as being a game that they were treating as their "last-ever".

England centre Ollie Lawrence was at the forefront of Worcester's attacking endeavours against Newcastle

And, although Diamond had also said that the result was unimportant and that getting the game on was all that mattered, it was manifestly clear that neither the Worcester players nor their feverish fans felt the same way.

The game only went ahead thanks to loyal Warriors staff, both full-time and part-time, working for nothing for the second Saturday running.

Roared on, they were level by the 17th minute after their own sustained spell of pressure when right winger Hearle, having come inside, was on the end of a left-sided overlap to sidle in under the posts.

Billy Searle added the extras to put the hosts ahead for the first time with the first of his six successful kicks. And it was the recalled stand-off's long pass that freed Van der Merwe to go in at the left corner for the second Warriors try.

Searle missed with the kick, but he then landed a 35-yard penalty to stretch Worcester 10 points clear at the break.

Another Searle penalty took Warriors out to 18-5, before Simpson made a break to race in from 25 yards out under the posts to seemingly seal victory with 16 minutes left.

But the rampant Warriors were far from finished as Kvesic and Batley added icing to the cake. What lies ahead is the club finding the funds to show that this was a relaunch party to look back on - and not a wake.

The past fortnight at the Warriors

• 13 Sept - Worcester co-owners 'agree terms of sale of club'

• 16 Sept - Warriors to face Exeter after avoiding suspension

• 18 Sept - Worcester spirited in home defeat by Exeter Chiefs

• 21 Sept - Warriors given 26 September funding ultimatum

• 22 Sept - Robin Walker MP asks DCMS to sanction administration

• 23 Sept - Worcester plight 'like death of a dog' - Steve Diamond

Warriors director of rugby Steve Diamond told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"That's what you call going out with a bang. Five tries - and we probably left two or three out there. Newcastle caught us on the wrong day, with a lot of emotion running through the team and the crowd.

"Given that the club could be suspended on Monday, there was a risk to the players. We had a vote on Friday as to whether we played or not - but it was virtually unanimous that we did.

"The players wanted to show their pride and loyalty to the club and the performance they put in mirrored that. BT have missed a trick not having their cameras here, but then we're not a glamorous club, are we?

"If the club goes into administration then I know as much as anyone else what will happen. I'm no insolvency expert. All I do know is we'll have no insurance from 5pm on Monday and the caretaker and his wife will have to find temporary accommodation as they'll be locked out too."

Newcastle head coach Dave Walder:

"We talked all week about dealing with the emotion Worcester may bring. There was a lot of emotion around the place with everything going on.

"We talked about not feeding that. We were waiting before we got on the bus to hear if the game was even on, but it was still disappointing how we fell away and we have to look at the reasons why.

"Fair play to Worcester. Their confidence grew and grew, their big players stepped up and put on a bit of a show. Unfortunately we just stood there and watched."

Worcester Warriors: Shillcock; Hearle, Lawrence, Venter, Van der Merwe; Searle, Simpson; McCallum, Langdon, Tyack, Batley, A Kitchener, Lee-Warner, Neild, Dodd.

Replacements: Faiva, Owen, Owlett, G Kitchener, Kvesic, Chudley, Morris, Heward.

Newcastle Falcons: Tait; Radwan, Stevenson, Wacokecoke, Carreras; Connon, Nordli-Kelemeti; Brantingham, McGuigan (capt), Davison, Peterson, De Chaves, Robinson, Collett, Chick.

Replacements: Maddison, Brocklebank, Tampin, Merrick, Blamire, Barton, Schoeman, Penny.

Sin bin: Nordli-Kelemeti (29).

Referee: Adam Leal.

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