PICTURE the scene -- it's tipping it down at Kingston Park on Sunday and the Warriors lead 12-3 on the hour after battering Newcastle up front.

They have the Falcons on the back foot again with a five-metre scrum and are just about to notch up try number three when Newcastle's last remaining fit prop goes down injured after a couple of substitutions.

Suddenly, Rob Andrew holds his hands up - "We've go no more props" he pleads - and referee Ashley Rowden has little choice but to call for uncontested scrums.

Incredibly, the Falcons are able to spin the ball out, get their backs into the game and, Bob's your uncle, they go on to win the match.

After two successive games where Newcastle's injury problems have forced uncontested scrums, it would not surprise anyone if they make it a hat-trick against Worcester's fabled forwards.

But when will this farce end? Supporters, of course, don't simply turn up to watch scrums but a power battle up front is surely one of the most engrossing elements of the sport.

Take away that -- like Newcastle have in their previous two games -- and you are treading a very dangerous path.

"I think there is a wider issue here," said Worcester's director of rugby John Brain. "We should be looking at having three specialist front row replacements on the bench and ones that are able to cover both sides.

"I don't see a problem with eight replacements and having that cover on the bench. Certainly, rugby supporters want to see battles up front and hopefully, on Sunday, we'll get 80 minutes of that.

"We'll be looking to make it a real contest for Newcastle."

I only hope, for the credibility of the sport, that Andrew also sees it that way.

Meanwhile, academy young gun Richard Blaze has signed a two-year contract at Worcester.

The 20-year-old, a regular for England's under-21s this season, will be on the bench for Worcester at Newcastle on Sunday. And Brain is delighted with the lock's progress.

"We would have every confidence in Richard if he had to go on against Newcastle," he said.

"Richard is a very good rugby player, there's no doubt about that. He is an outstanding talent to come from our academy."

Blaze and Uche Oduoza look set to be involved in Worcester's first-team set up but youngsters Alex Rae, Mark Hopley and Dylan Hartley are expected to follow James Percival and move to Northampton.