Tuitupou fails to inspire Warriors

All Blacks centre Sam Tuitupou marked his Guinness Premiership debut with a top quality try but it was not enough to give Worcester Warriors their first league victory of the season as they went down 23-16 to London Irish.

Irish snatched victory with three minutes to go when winger Sailosi Tagicakibau scored a breakaway try in the left-hand corner, converted by full-back Delon Armitage.

But the losing bonus point which Worcester secured at the fog-shrouded Madejski Stadium by keeping the margin of victory to seven points is enough to lift them level on points at the bottom of the table with Leeds Carnegie.

Prop forward Richard Skuse scored the other Irish try with Armitage landing three penalties and two conversions for a personal contribution of 13 points.

The other Worcester points came from the boot of fly-half Shane Drahm who converted Tuitupou's try and also landed three penalties.

All eyes were on Worcester's big name signing Rico Gear but the New Zealand winger had little chance to show his dangerous attacking attributes and it was his fellow Kiwi Tuitupou who looked like sealing the honours until Irish snatched victory at the death.

Taking an inside pass from Drahm, Tuitupou, capped nine times by New Zealand, left the Irish defence standing as he burst through the middle for his 46th-minute try.