Sunday 6 January 2019 09:12, UK
Worcester boss Alan Solomons hailed his players for holding their nerve after completing an astonishing fightback to beat 11-man Bath at Sixways.
Wing Bryce Heem's try and a match-winning conversion by Duncan Weir came in the 19th minute of added time as Worcester claimed a 21-19 Premiership victory having trailed 19-3 at half-time.
By that stage, Bath had four players off the field for various offences. Replacement hooker Ross Batty was sent off 16 minutes from time for a dangerous tackle at a ruck.
Then referee Ian Tempest yellow-carded three Bath players in quick succession as Worcester pushed for an unlikely win during more than a dozen close-range scrums in the dying minutes.
Max Lahiff was the first to go for a technical offence, then his fellow replacement prop Lucas Noguera followed before wing Aled Brew departed for deliberate offside.
It all added up to one of the most remarkable finishes to a game in Premiership history, with Worcester's victory opening up a four-point gap between themselves and bottom club Newcastle.
"I have been coaching for a long time, so I have seen it go both ways, but it was pretty tight at the end, I must admit," Warriors rugby director Solomons said.
"It went on and on and on, but the boys held their nerve and we eventually got the try and conversion. All's well that ends well.
"I've seen games go right to the death quite often, but not in that particular manner. There were umpteen scrums, and then eventually we got the ball, moved it wide and scored the try."
His Bath counterpart Todd Blackadder, though, was left to reflect on his team blowing an interval lead and conceding more than a dozen second-half penalties.
Blackadder said: "I have never been involved with a game before that finished like that. It's a new one.
"It will be fascinating to go back and have a look at it all and try to work out what the hell happened.
"We will always look at it as being 19-3 in front and in a commanding position, and then being down to 11 men at the end.
"Some of the penalties we conceded in the second half we deserved to concede, but it would be good to get some clarity and consistency on others."
As for Batty's red card, Blackadder added: "I haven't had a good chance to have a look at the replay, but if it was as dangerous as it sounds, then no problem at all. You just have to live with it."
