Quins hold off Warriors

Harlequins edged Worcester at Sixways in a tight contest that was lit up by a moment of magic from replacement Warriors fly-half Loki Crichton in the 78th minute.

He chipped ahead and won the race for the loose ball before converting.

It was not enough to give his side the win but it did secure a much-needed losing bonus point in the Warriors' battle against relegation.

Worcester went into the game without a win in eight league games, while Harlequins have not won in any competition in their last eight outings.

Possession

Worcester struggled from the outset and were unable to hold on to hard-won possession, particularly on the rare occasions they got within striking distance.

Quins on the other hand may not have made the most of their opportunities but they at least took two of them to capitalise on the pressure they consistently applied.

Flanker Chris Robshaw claimed the first try after 18 minutes and hooker Gary Botha got the second in the 23rd, each of them the result of sustained forward power, applied wide out.

However, Chris Malone could not convert either score from the touchline - and then missed the sort of penalty shot that is usually a gimme for the Australian.

The Warriors decided against asking Shane Drahm to attempt their first penalty at goal, instead opting for a close-range line-out, but Quins absorbed the pressure to go in 10-0 ahead at the break.

Spark

As the rain began to drench proceedings, Worcester coach Mike Ruddock sent on Darren Morris, Gavin Quinnell and Chris Fortey in an attempt to spark a revival.

Quinnell certainly made an impact with his powerful charges into contact, but the home side could made little headway when it really mattered as Quins soaked up the pressure and the home side found making the final pass difficult, leaving Crichton's piece of magic as their only crumb of comfort.

And there was bad news towards the end for newly-honoured England coach Brian Ashton, with Worcester skipper Nick Easter limping off in the 58th minute.

Easter is seen as one of the game's rising stars and would be a loss if he were to be sidelined ahead of the Six Nations.