Worcester Warriors are working to improve their discipline after a penalty-heavy start to the season, drawing on insights from referees.
The side suffered a narrow defeat to Doncaster Knights on Saturday, October 25, despite an impressive comeback. Trailing 22-7 at half-time, the Warriors fought back to 29-31 with just a minute remaining, only for Doncaster to score a last-second try to seal the win.
Head coach Matt Everard said: “Our loss wasn’t down to effort, intent, or physicality. I’m proud of the players—they were genuinely disappointed afterwards. They already have many of the solutions as a group, and my role is to help build a unified approach to improvement.”
Everard highlighted that the team is still finding its rhythm: “This is a new group coming together. Each week reveals areas to improve, and discipline has consistently been one of them over the first four games.”
The Warriors conceded 18 penalties against Doncaster, with 15 points coming from Doncaster’s successful penalty kicks. “Winning a game while giving away 18 penalties is extremely tough,” Everard noted.
To address discipline, the coaching team has implemented measures such as setting a limit on penalties per game and involving referees in training.
Everard added: “A referee will join us tomorrow to guide our sessions. He’ll oversee both our unit and team drills and provide feedback on where we’ve been disciplined and where we can improve. Bringing referees in more often is beneficial—it helps the players understand discipline and allows us to train it effectively throughout the week.”