Worcester 36 Montpellier 18

A disciplined performance in the face of some intense provocation was enough to give Worcester Warriors a winning start in this year's European Challenge Cup.

Five points and five tries against the side considered to be the strongest in the group has given John Brain's men the perfect start in their bid to progress to Heineken Cup rugby.

This is a cup competition Brain does care about. It provides a route to the next stage in the evolution of the club, and if his programme notes from Saturday are anything to go by, Warriors owner Cecil Duckworth expects nothing less.

It would be wrong though for Brain's side to get carried away by the scoreline, because they were slightly flattered by it.

Montpellier may be considered to be the strongest side in the group, but they are a team in turmoil. Two places off the bottom of their domestic French league, they are not as formidable as might be expected.

In a game of mistakes and turnovers, Worcester triumphed because they made less mistakes, conceded fewer penalties, and were fortunate to come up against a side that has lost its killer instinct.

French hospitality is well known off the pitch, but on the field their sides are not recognised for having a giving nature. So it must have come as something of a shock to the Warriors to experience the generosity Montpellier heaped upon their hosts.

Four times during the course of the game the visitors blew try scoring opportunities. They knocked on, passed too early, or too late, and in the second half, centre Alex Stoica dropped the ball when already across the line.

Worcester made their own mistakes, but were clinical enough in their finishing to make sure they took their opportunities when they came.

They will have been pleased too with their selfcontrol and discipline in the face of the now-expected French provocation. Montpellier may be struggling, but the French never shy away from the darker side of the game.

"They're monsters," said Warriors captain Pat Sanderson after the game.

Director of rugby Brain added: "We set ourselves a target today of less than ten penalties and no yellows. I thought the players were very disciplined, and at times played some good controlled rugby."

It would be wrong though to attribute Worcester's triumph to just making less mistakes, for they dominated in parts too. Against a scrum that, in true French fashion, was as tough as they come, the home side more than held their own.

This was perfectly highlighted in first half when they won a penalty try after visitors prop Nicolas Deschamps was penalised for slipping his binding after a series of powerful scrums in the corner.

Worcester dominated the line-out too. Craig Gillies did more than most to not only disrupt Montpellier, but provide some good ball for Warriors' backs.

Most importantly, they forced the visitors to concede penalties when in good attacking positions and to make silly mistakes at vital times.

It wasn't just in the forwards though that Worcester shone. Shane Drahm and Andy Gomarsall have come in for their share of criticism in recent weeks, but on Saturday the half-back pairing controlled the game. Drahm scored 16 points in all, including the first of his side's five tries to put them ten-nil up after 22 minutes. The fly-half dummied his way past Montpellier from five yards out following a drew Hickey break.

In a see-saw half, the French drew level through Sebastien Kuzbic, after Worcester had dropped the ball inside the French 22.

By that time, Montpellier had already sliced Worcester open three times, only to be denied by last ditch tackles from Gomarsall and Uche Oduoza.

Sanderson put the home side back in front from a fine catch and drive, spinning off the back of a rolling maul, before a break by flanker Martin Durand set up a Montpellier try for prop Mamuka Magrakvalidze.

Then came the penalty try for the home side on the stroke of half-time.

Worcester were much more controlled after the break, limiting the visitors to a single penalty from the boot of fly-half David Burtolussi. And as replacement followed replacement, any rhythm the French side died have was quickly lost.

As the half wore on, Worcester gradually got further and further away and tries from Gomarsall and Oduoza gave the scoreline a more convincing feel than it perhaps merited.