WORCESTER Warriors qualified for today’s Premiership Rugby Sevens Cup quarter-finals at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton.

They beat Sale Sharks 22-21 in their opener but then lost 28-12 to defending champions Saracens in the Pool A decider.

As Saracens also defeated Sale in their first match, Warriors had already secured a place in the cup’s knockout stages before they played their second match.

Warriors finished the pool stage as the seventh-ranked side and face Exeter Chiefs in the quarter-finals at 3.38pm.

Tries from wing Joe Medcraft, guesting from Westcombe Park, and captain Alex Hearle meant Warriors led 12-7 two minutes into the second half but Saracens scored three tries in the last three minutes of the match to secure top spot.

Rotimi Segun crossed twice in a minute to dash Warriors’ victory hopes and Tom Whiteley then nipped in from the final play of the match to deny a losing bonus point.

In their opening match Stourbridge wing Reece Beddows, one of five guest players in Warriors’ squad, scored two tries against Sale.

But it was a long-range effort from Luke Scully two minutes from time that clinched the bonus points and settled a tight match.

Beddows went over for his first try after three minutes and soon followed up with his second after he outpaced Sale’s defence.

James Williams, who played for Cavaliers in last season’s Premiership Rugby Shield, reduced the deficit when he went over from halfway for Sale’s opening try with Tom Curtis adding the conversion.

That try was immediately cancelled out by one from back row Caleb Montgomery on his first appearance for Warriors following his summer move from Ulster.

Scully landed the conversion which was to prove a crucial kick for Warriors.

Sale scored again almost from the kick-off at the start of the second half when a sustained attack created space for Rouban Birch and Curtis’ conversion reduced the gap to just three points.

But Sale were reduced to six men when Raffi Quirke was sin-binned for a high tackle on Scully.

And Warriors capitalised with Scully ghosting through from halfway in the last minute.

There was still time for Teddy Leatherbarrow to score Sale’s third try which Curtis also converted but it came too late to deny Warriors.