Sat 7 Mar 2026, 15:00
Alcester pushed the unbeaten league leaders all of the way, in front of a sizeable Kings Coughton crowd, before ultimately coming up short in a high-quality game of rugby, which was a superb advert for the standard at this level.
Playing down the slope in the first half, the visitors showed their attacking intent early to score wide out on their left, with a well struck conversion adding the extras for a 7-0 lead. Five minutes later they had doubled their tally with a carbon copy score.
Still only fifteen minutes in Worcester added a third, following a scything run by their inside centre and another conversion, and at this stage it looked like Alcester might be in for a long and painful afternoon, similar to the one they endured in the reverse fixture in November when they suffered an 80-7 reverse, which was their last defeat.
But Alcester got their possession game going and for the remainder of the half, had the better of things. Centre Josh O’Connor using trademark strength to power his way to the line for his side’s opening score.
Jamie Harland, operating at full back this week, due to an injury enforced reshuffle, set off on one of a number of incisive runs in the game, only to be tackled just short of the line, to leave the half time score at 5-21.
To have any real chance of coming back into the game, Alcester needed a big start to the second half, but they got off to the worst possible one, when the restart kick was spilled and in the ensuing play the visitors scored their bonus point try and a fourth conversion.
To the home side’s credit, they didn’t let their heads drop and they reclaimed the ascendancy and pushed Worcester back into their territory for a sustained period, which forced one too many infringements for the referee’s liking and he sent the visitors prop to the sin bin for ten minutes. Alcester capitalised almost immediately with a try out wide for wing Lewis Walker.
Despite Worcester numbers being restored to their full contingent, the home side remained on top and when lock Nigel Burrows trundled over from a short-range ruck, following a series of sustained pressure on the visitor’s line, and a successful conversion, it looked as though an unlikely comeback might be on with the scores at 17-28.
Alcester continued to press and full back Harland and man of the match prop, Ieuan Hopkin both came close to adding to the score before Worcester got their fifth converted try to close out the game.
In the dying moments of the game, the home side lost flanker Toby Birks to the sin bin for retaliation.
Alcester can take huge credit from a superb effort against a really good side, who are likely to more than hold their own in the division above next season.
Alcester are in action again on Saturday 14th March when they entertain Bromyard, one of only three sides to have beaten them this season, for a 3pm kick off.
