But Mike Ruddock’s team produced a breathtaking comeback as tries from Kai Horstmann and Dom Feaunati and the ice-cool kicking of Shane Drahm saw they claim two points.

Warriors started the game in brilliant fashion with wing Marcel Garvey bursting over after less than three minutes after some fine individual work on the right flank.

Wasps hit back with tries from Pat Barnard and James Haskell plus the trusty boot of Dave Walder seeing them into what looked a comfortable lead.

However, back came the hosts and a tense finale even saw Walder screw a last minute drop goal wide as the spoils were shared.

“I was very proud of the players and some of the rugby second half was fantastic, the crowd got right behind them and we looked threatening,” said Ruddock.

“We saw the way forward for the Warriors and we retained some of our set piece strength, with some good work in the scrum and lineout, but as the game started to break up we saw glimpses of the new Warriors.

A pumped up Sixways was alive as the game started with James Brown pinning the visitors back with an early kick while the pack rumbled with intent.

Warriors made a dream start after three minutes when clever kick over the top from full back Shane Drahm was picked up by Dale Rasmussen who drove the ball on. Quick ball from Drahm this time fed the speeding Garvey down the right flank who sped around Tom Voyce who had been dragged in. Then as the cover defence drifted across he chipped ahead over the final man before winning the race to touch down. Drahm added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Drahm missed the chance to extend the lead when he just pulled a penalty on eight minutes after Wasps were hit for a ruck infringement.

Warriors looked intent to bury the memory of the Bath defeat with Garvey again bursting through two tackles with his inside pass to Drahm was just knocked on as the home side looked to strike again.

The visitors finally launched an attack after 11 minutes when Dominic Waldouck pressed the gas down the right but he was covered by Thinus Delport who just stopped the flier as he looked to explode clear.

Sixways was rocking to cries from home support but it was the visitors who got on the scoresheet on when Danny Cipriani slotted a penalty after Warriors were penalised for not rolling away.

Warriors nearly hit back from the kick off when Craig Gillies blocked the clearing kick and the ball fell kindly into the hands of Mark Tucker. But the home side could not force a way through from close range before they were stopped for holding onto the ball.

The home side looked keen to run the ball whenever possible with Kai Horstmann making a break but failing to find a man outside with his flick pass as he was brought down.

Wasps also looked dangerous and scored a try on 21 minutes. The initial break came from Fraser Waters down the right before the ball was spun across.

The home side slammed the door shut on several occasions before Pat Barnard eventually crashed over from close range. Cipriani added the extras for a 10-7 lead.

Wasps extended the lead when Warriors were again penalised by referee Rob Debney and Dave Walder split the posts.

Worcester refused to lie down despite the weight of points against them over ten minutes and Drahm’s up and under caused confusion and gave the home side an ideal platform to attack. But seconds later crossing stopped the attack in its tracks.

Tucker was hit for offside giving Walder another simple penalty as the visitors continued to grind out a comfortable lead.

Warriors were also dealt a blow when Tom Wood was yellow carded and Cipriani threatened to make it count only to be superbly tackled by Garvey before the full back was guilty of holding on.

The numerical advantage did not appear to show as Worcester enjoyed sustained possession with Delport making a break only to slip as he looked to dance past final man Cipriani before sustained pressure just before the interval just failed to create a score.

Wasps started the second half as they had ended the first with Walder again putting the boot in with his third penalty of the game for a 19-7 lead.

Drahm finally got Warriors rolling again with a penalty taking them into double figures eight minutes after the break.

Worcester were lucky to escape on 52 minutes when Wasps again enjoyed quick ball and sped it left with pace. The visitors had numbers out wide but Garvey just got hands to the ball to stop the final pass going to hand.

But it was only a temporary reprieve as Haskell peeled off the scrum and bulldozed his way over in the corner. Walder missed the conversion.

Warriors threw on Ryan Powell and Gavin Quinnell to try and inject some fresh impetus into the game and again came with Brown thumping the ball into the corner before the ball was knocked forward.

The home crowd though they had scored with 20 minutes to go only to knock the ball on as they rumbled towards the line. But after a succession of penalties against Wasps the home side infringed and allowed the home side to boot clear.

Tony Windo and Ben Gotting were introduced to try and revitalise the front row and Dom Feaunati made some booming runs after being thrown on for Tucker.

Warriors were now throwing everything at the visitors and pounded on the door for several minutes as ball was recycled and spun left and right. Finally a long looping pass from Drahm found Kai Horstmann and he just found the room to crash over in the corner. Drahm slotted his conversion from the sidelines to cut the lead and give the home side real belief.

The home side were suddenly purring and stole a scrum before Garvey tore through a gap and fed Gotting who powered forward only to be dragged up short as the volume in Sixways kept rising.

Seconds later Sixways was alive as Feaunati scored a stunning try as he powered past two defenders to score in the corner. Drahm added another stunning kick to draw the home side level.

Wasps again came roaring back in a tense finale with Haskell thundering towards the line only to lose the ball forward as the noise continued to rise.

Walder had the chance to steal it with 12 seconds left but from in front of the posts dragged his drop goal miles left to the delight of the home fans as Warriors secured a stunning draw.

Timeline:
3m Garvey t Drahm c 7-0
15m Cipriani p 7-3
21m Barnard t Cipriani c 7-10
26m Walder p 7-13
29m Walder p 7-16
42m Walder p 7-19
48m Drahm p 10-19
53m Haskell t 10-24
70m Horstmann t Drahm c 17-24
74m Feaunati t Drahm c 24-24

Warriors: 01 Darren Morris, 02 Chris Fortey (Gotting 64), 03 Tevita Taumoepeau (Windo 64), 04 Phil Murphy, 05 Craig Gillies (Bowley 59), 06 Tom Wood (Quinnell 54), 07 Pat Sanderson, 08 Kai Horstmann, 09 Matt Powell (R Powell 54), 10 James Brown, 11 Marcel Garvey, 12 Mark Tucker (Feaunati 58), 13 Dale Rasmussen, 14 Thinus Delport (Pennell 75), 15 Shane Drahm

Replacements: 16 Tony Windo, 17 Ben Gotting, 18 Gavin Quinnell, 19 Will Bowley, 20 Ryan Powell, 21 Dominic Feaunati, 22 Chris Pennell