By BrianC
December 20 2006

We return to Premiership action next week with a match against a team who must be very worried about their current league position, Worcester Warriors.

Given their very bright first season in the top flight the poor start to this one must have come as a shock to both the Worcester team and supporters. They currently languish at the bottom of the table having won only one of their nine outings thus far.

What should be noted however is that they won their last GP game 17 – 20 away at Saracens. Since then they have won an EDF cup game against Newport and home and away fixtures against French club Albi. It could be argued that they, like us, are now finding their form.

It is difficult to put your finger on just what has been going wrong at Worcester this season. There does not appear to be any shortage of money or ambition. The club has just announced a £23 million redevelopment of its Sixways home and, off field at least, looks set to become one of the power houses of English club rugby. That something has gone amiss is beyond doubt. This culminated in head coach Anthony Eddy paying the price with his job in November. Director of Rugby John Brain also offered to resign but was persuaded to stay by the clubs owner, Cecil Duckworth.

Last season it was honours even between ourselves and the men in blue and white. In our first home game of that season we went down 15 – 20 in a forwards dominated game. By the time we met them again at Sixways in April a much improved LI side managed a win but only narrowly, 10 – 12.

With their confidence returning and the danger that you would expect coming from a cornered animal Worcester will present us with as stiff a challenge as they come on Friday. I’m expecting us to grind out a victory but I’m crossing my fingers as I type this.