Harlequins 20 Worcester 6: Luscombe cuts Worcester adrift at the bottom

Andy Robinson must hope that it is not an omen for today, but there was a coach in Twickenham last night whose job was under severe pressure, after his side's eighth consecutive defeat in the Premiership. John Brain's Worcester were every bit as disjointed and listless in losing at Harlequins as England were across the road last week.

Last season they knew exactly where to turn if the going got tough, and that was to their mighty pack or at the very least their talisman at fly-half, Shane Drahm. Their pack slugged it out effectively enough for the first hour, but then Chris Horsman, already on as a replacement, was soon off again for his umpteenth yellow card of the season, and Quins pulled away with 10 points while he was gone. Adrian Jarvis slotted a penalty and then Hal Luscombe scored the try that put the game to bed.

A strangely listless affair it was, too. After a few indifferent phases of Quins possession, Luscombe received the ball standing still, looked around, then sliced through a hole in the Warriors' defence almost for want of something better to do.

Worcester's new defence coach, Phil Larder, has some work on his hands, a thing he already knew after Quins' first try, where David Strettle hacked through for a try no one seemed of a mind to prevent.

Harlequins: Tries Strettle, Luscombe; Conversions Jarvis 2; Penalties Jarvis 2. Worcester: Penalties Drahm 2.

Harlequins: M Brown; D Strettle, H Luscombe, J Turner-Hall (G Duffy, 72), S Keogh; A Jarvis, A Gomarsall; C Jones, T Fuga, M Ross, O Kohn, J Evans, A Vos (C Hala'Ufia, 74), P Volley (capt), N Easter.

Worcester: L Best (A Havili, 22); T Delport, D Rasmussen, T Lombard, M Tucker; S Drahm (J Brown, 70), R Powell (M Powell, 52); L Fortey (C Horsman, 35, sin-bin, 58), B Gotting (C Fortey h-t), D Morris, C Gillies, T Collier (P Murphy, 61), K Horstmann (capt), T Harding, D Hickey (G Quinnell, 61).

Referee: W Barnes (RFU).