GLOUCESTER returned to winning ways following defeats against Harlequins and Leicester, edging out the Worcester Warriors 24-19 at Kingsholm on Friday night, writes Andrew Baldock.

Two local rugby club graduates were key to the success with former Stow-on-the-Wold youngster Ollie Thorley scoring two tries and ex-Cirencester player Henry Trinder coming off the bench to set up a superb Billy Twelvetrees touchdown.

There were also nine points from the boot of fly-half Billy Burns.

Worcester have conceded 124 points this term, but they posed Gloucester plenty of second-half problems.

The home side, who lost lock Tom Savage late on when he appeared to be briefly knocked out following a crunching Christian Scotland-Williamson tackle, made it two home wins from two this season, but their form on the road remains a concern.

Prop Val Rapava Ruskin made a full Gloucester debut against the club he left earlier this year, while Burns and centre Mark Atkinson both returned from injury.

Worcester lost last season's corresponding fixture 55-19, conceding seven tries, and they found themselves under sustained early pressure either side of their captain Donncha O'Callaghan being sin-binned by referee Wayne Barnes for not retreating 10 metres after Gloucester ran a close-range penalty.

And Gloucester duly punished the Warriors while O'Callaghan was off, with Burns kicking a penalty before his long pass found full-back Jason Woodward, whose exquisite one-handed offload freed Thorley for a try that Burns converted.

Thorley went close to adding a second try just three minutes later when Warriors wing Bryce Heem narrowly beat him to the touchdown, but Gloucester then struck again when Twelvetrees attacked from deep, flanker Freddie Clarke took on the move and Thorley finished in style.

Burns added the conversion, and O'Callaghan rejoined the action with his side 17-0 behind and facing a huge battle to put themselves back in the contest.

But Worcester continued to dominate territory as half-time approached, prospering from Stringer's rapid service and direct running by Te'o, while Scotland international back-row forward David Denton also made an impact after replacing Sam Lewis.

Mills kicked a second penalty three minutes before the break, and Gloucester trooped off with an 11-point advantage after offering little in attack following Thorley's early double, while their line-out also badly misfired.

The home side, though, were sparked into life within a minute of the restart as substitute centre Trinder sparked a brilliant attack, then featured again 50 metres upfield following good work by Willi Heinz, flicking a scoring pass to Twelvetrees, and Burns converted.

It left Gloucester needing one more try for a bonus point, but Worcester struck next, claiming just a fourth Premiership try of the season when Humphreys expertly gathered Mills' kick to the corner and shrugged off Charlie Sharples to score.

And Humphreys was on hand again nine minutes from time, finishing off a slick move that had Te'o at its heart, and although Mills sent the touchline conversion attempt well wide, he then completed his penalty hat-trick and broke Warriors' Premiership points duck this term.