WORCESTER Cavaliers paid for an error-strewn start as they crashed to a 27-19 defeat against Saracens Storm in the Aviva A-League final at Sixways tonight.

A strong Saracens side blew away Worcester in the first 26 minutes, scoring three converted tries for a 21-0 lead against the stunned hosts.

An experienced Worcester outfit used their powerful drive to cut the deficit to seven points at the interval.

Despite a late James Stephenson try, two second-half Ben Spencer penalties nudged Saracens to their first silverware of the campaign.

Worcester put up a brave fight as Saracens had three players yellow-carded but most of the fans in the 4,141 crowd left disappointed.

Storm drew first blood after Ben Howard failed to gather Spencer’s high up-and-under.

The visitors kept possession and, after sustained pressure on the try line, Maro Itoje dived over from close range.

Spencer converted and Storm grabbed a second try soon afterwards through Nick De Jager after the hosts lost a line-out.

Spencer’s conversion swept Storm into a 14-0 lead.

They built momentum and grabbed a third try in the 26th minute with Hayden Thompson-Stringer driven over after a quick tap penalty.

Spencer’s conversion gave Storm a 21-0 cushion.

But Worcester replied and Saracens skipper Itoje was sin-binned after pulling down a driving maul on 30 minutes.

Within seconds, Worcester were awarded a penalty try after Saracens were pinged at the resulting scrum and Ignacio Mieres converted.

Worcester got the upper hand in the scrum and were rewarded with their second try just before the interval.

Skipper Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier picked up from the back of a scrum before darting over in the corner.

Mieres’ touchline conversion bounced in off the post to cut Saracens’ lead to seven points at half-time.

As the rain lashed down, the reliable Spencer kicked a 47th-minute penalty to stretch Saracens’ lead further.

Worcester’s Richard de Carpentier and Storm’s Matt Hankin were sin-binned as tempers flared off the ball 15 minutes into the second-half.

Dan Sanderson burst through for the hosts but the ball slipped out of his grasp with the try-line beckoning.

Spencer missed a long-range penalty as the clock ticked down.

With nine minutes left, Worcester had fresh hope when Storm’s Catalin Fercu was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Stephenson.

Worcester took full advantage and Stephenson slid over with six minutes remaining.

But Mieres missed the conversion before Spencer’s second penalty ended Worcester’s comeback hopes.

Cavaliers: Howard; Stephenson, Grove, Fatiaki, Hammond (Humphreys 69); Mieres, Bruzulier (Mulchrone 48); Fainga’anuku (Bower 48), Annett (Sowrey 69), Rees (Daniels 48), Percival, Sanderson, Taylor, Gilbert, de Carpentier. Replacements not used: Kerry, Keith.