FOR SOME the final moments of Warriors’ pulsating contest with Bristol were almost too much to handle, while for others it was the best period of their careers.
The Observer got the reaction of a number of jubilant players and the club’s chief executive following Worcester’s heroics in the play-off final.
“Having come off, it was hard to watch at the end. I thought it was game over, so to come back was unbelievable. The character the boys showed was just awesome.
“It was a tough game and I was blowing at times, but the crowd were amazing and helped push us over the line.”
Flanker Sam Betty
“In terms of an emotional rollercoaster this has got to be number one (in my career) because I don’t think you will ever witness a game like that.
“The way the two sides played over two legs and then then drama at the end was just unbelievable.”
Centre Alex Grove
“I was looking at the clock and it was going down to eight minutes and I am thinking ‘what can we do?’.
“But we stuck to our guns and the character the boys showed was just immense.
“But if we did not have the support out there, it would not have been anything like that so we have to thank the crowd as well.”
Scrum half JB Bruzulier
“I thought all was lost, but what happened afterwards just says a lot about the team.
“They never give up.
“A lot of other teams would have just packed up and gone, but the guys stuck in and just believed.”
Prop Val Rapava Ruskin
“It was phenomenal. When the penalty try was awarded, I thought ‘oh my God we can do this’ and then the rest happened in slow motion.
“If you had read this in a book or watched it in a Disney movie you would have said it was totally unrealistic and would never have happened in real life, but it did.”
CEO Jim O’Toole
“I can imagine the roller-coaster from the side-lines must have been unbelievable, but I can assure you on the field it was equally incredible.
“I am just massively proud of the group of lads that dug in for that last ten minutes and clawed us back in. When the pressure was on, they stuck to their jobs, worked hard and got us over the line.”
Full back Chris Pennell