WORCESTER Warriors maintained the pressure on Bristol at the top of the Greene King IPA Championship after thumping Cornish Pirates 69-8 in Penzance.

The game was effectively wrapped up by the break as Warriors raced in five tries to secure a bonus point as Charlie Mulchrone and Chris Pennell helped themselves to doubles, with Cooper Vuna also getting on the scoresheet.

After the break, Vuna and Mulchrone bagged hat-tricks, while Tom Biggs and Ben Howard got on the board as Warriors put 60-plus points on the Pirates for the second time this season.

Director of rugby Dean Ryan made seven changes to the side which defeated Yorkshire Carnegie last weekend with Sam Betty returning to play against his former club.

Warriors saw most of the possession in the opening stages of the match but couldn’t find a way through a stubborn Pirates defence.

The visitors threatened down the left flank time and again but knocked on at crucial times and they were made to rue those missed opportunities when Kieran Hallett opened the scoring with a penalty when Ryan Lamb was sin-binned for obstruction.

Despite being down to 14 men, Warriors continued to probe at the Pirates defence and when Andy Symons spotted a gap, he offloaded to skipper GJ van Velze who in turn teed-up Pennell to dot down.

Symons, playing at the unfamiliar role of outside centre, stepped up to convert the try.

Warriors began to find their rhythm and, after winning a penalty deep behind enemy lines, Mulchrone skipped off the back of a maul to find a gap and dive over the line.

He was at it again several minutes later following some sharp vision from Symons, who tore open the Pirates defence to gallop down field before gifting Mulchrone a second.

Warriors wrapped-up the bonus point before half-time when Lamb kicked wide to Biggs, who popped the ball to Vuna to get his second try for the club.

Ryan’s men were running riot as they pulled the Pirates’ defence apart with Vuna storming his way down the left wing before cutting inside to set-up Pennell for his brace.

Lamb added the extras as he and Symons shared the goal-kicking responsibilities.

Warriors came out after the break looking to continue their dominance and added three points early through the boot of Lamb.

Mulchrone then set Warriors away with a quick penalty but Pirates stole it back and looked set to score a breakaway try.

However, Biggs intercepted before kicking and chasing, and then punted the ball towards the tryline where he retrieved it to score.

Lamb picked up another two points before Warriors were at it again as replacement Max Stelling glided down the left before setting up Vuna for his second.

The Australian then grabbed his hat-trick minutes later after finishing off a sublime team move with forwards and backs combining well and handling cleanly.

Lamb kept up the fine form with the boot adding further conversions.

Holland then ran in a consolation after showing acceleration down the left flank but Warriors were back up and at it when Mulchrone dotted down to secure his hat-trick.

There was to be no treble for Pennell as he was replaced by Howard but the substitute made the most of his short time on the field, sprinting across the pitch to bag Warriors’ 10th try.

Lamb converted from wide out as the many travelling Warriors supporters enjoyed a fine day in Cornwall.

The win means next weekend’s clash with Bristol at Sixways will be a title decider before the sides embark on the Greene King IPA Championship play-offs.