DIRECTOR of rugby Alan Solomons insists Worcester Warriors need to tighten up their game despite thumping Hartpury 52-24 in a pre-season clash at Sixways.

A Jack Singleton double sandwiched between tries from Ollie Lawrence and Josh Adams saw Warriors power to a 23-10 lead at half-time.

The hosts then looked to put their Championship opponents to the sword as Ted Hill bagged a brace and Jamie Shillcock and Michael Heaney crossed.

But Solomons was disappointed to see his side “toss the ball away” as they conceded two “soft” tries in the closing six minutes.

“We were a little too loose in the second half,” Solomons said.

“We did speak at half-time about not letting it get too loose but it did so that’s a work-on for us.

“It is pre-season so players haven’t played much rugby and we were at a stage in the match where that was natural to happen.

“But it is something that we have got to be aware of with the Premiership coming around.”

Solomons was delighted with the performances of academy aces Lawrence, Hill and Andrew Kitchener and with the way his pack of forwards operated from the line-out with Singleton twice going over off the back of driving mauls.

“I thought the drives went well and we stemmed their drive on a number of occasions as well,” Solomons said.

“Obviously the line-out is (head coach Rory Duncan’s) responsibility and he has worked hard on the drive. He has done a good job there.”

Hartpury got off to a decent start and opened the scoring on six minutes with a Luke Cozens penalty.

But once Warriors got into their stride they began to play some scintillating rugby as Duncan Weir fed Lawrence who burst through a gap to score. Weir made no mistake with the conversion.

Worcester were also outmuscling Hartpury up front as a well-constructed driving line-out resulted in Singleton touching down.

Singleton’s second try on 18 minutes was almost a carbon copy as the hosts’ pack power laid the platform for the hooker to score.

Weir converted both to put his side 21-3 in front.

With fly-half Weir and centre Ryan Mills pulling the strings and scrum-half Baldwin making sniping runs Warriors were well on top as Chris Pennell was stopped just short of the try-line.

But a mix-up involving Pennell and Dean Hammond when chasing back to gather the ball then presented an opportunity for Hartpury.

And the visitors took full advantage as Max Clementson exploited space to go over with Cozens converting.

But Warriors hit back almost immediately as Pennell broke before Lawrence teed up Adams to finish. Weir landed the conversion.

Hammond and Lawrence were the only players to stay on for the second half as Warriors made 13 changes with signings Jono Lance, Ashley Beck, Cornell du Preez and Heaney introduced.

And they soon made an impact as Lance’s pass found Beck who strode through before unselfishly putting Hill in for a try which Shillcock converted.

Shillcock joined the try-scoring party on 56 minutes when he went over after Lawrence produced a superb run and offload.

Another fine move created Worcester’s seventh try as Shillcock and Hammond launch an attack before Lance fed Hill for his second.

Shillcock failed to add the extras but the home side were all over Hartpury as du Preez smashed forward and Heaney finished. Lance then made it 50-10 from the tee.

But Hartpury rallied and notched two converted tries late on.

Nathan Chamberlain wriggled his way over for the first of those before Ed Sheldon crossed at the death after Baldwin was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on.

WARRIORS: Pennell 7 (Shillcock 40, 7); Adams 7 (Howe 40, 6), Lawrence 8 (Baldwin 54-58, 61), Mills 7 (Beck 40, 7), Hammond 7; Weir 8 (Lance 40, 7), Baldwin 8 (Heaney 40, 7); Black 6 (Bower 40, 7), Singleton 7 (Taufete’e 40, 7), Schonert 6 (Kerrod 40, 7), Bresler 8 (Kitchener 26-36, 40, 7), Barry 7 (Phillips 40, 7), Mama 7 (HILL 40, 8), Lewis 7 (Williams 40, 7), van Velze 7 (du Preez, 7).

Star man: Ted Hill.

Attendance: TBC