THE players are determined to put the record straight tomorrow night.
Certainly, after a poor first-half performance at Kingsholm, the squad want to hit back in the best possible way -- with victory over Leeds.
We've been frank and honest in our assessment of the game against Gloucester. The first-half simply wasn't good enough but we've looked at the reasons why and moved on.
However, if there was one positive to come from the match it was the display in the second period against the Cherry and Whites.
We executed the game-plan much better in that half and showed a lot more composure. Our half-backs were much more influential and they can take that into the Leeds game. We certainly showed our never-say-die attitude and were more like the Worcester side we saw against Northampton, Wasps and London Irish.
The reception from the gold and blue section of the Shed was fantastic and the players were bowled over by our supporters, battling to make themselves heard amid the din. They were just disappointed that they couldn't react as well as they wanted to but there is always another chance and Friday offers us that.
Our last 'Premiership Friday' at Sixways was a special atmosphere. A night game has a mood all of its own and the crowd play a massive part in that. Against Wasps, the crowd were phenomenal and I think this game has really caught the imagination of the Worcester public.
Worcester and Leeds have enjoyed great battles in the past as both clubs looked to get out of National One. Now, for both of us, it's about staying in this league and we're determined to make sure that we do everything possible to attain that. If we can beat Leeds, it will pull us away from bottom side Harlequins and put the pressure on them before they tackle Gloucester. For us now, it's all about accumulating points.
My memories of our October defeat at Headingley are still very clear. We thought we were a bit hard done by as we went down 24-19, having a try disallowed while we also scored three against them. So, there's no doubt that we can get in behind them and we're quietly confident about tomorrow.
I understand that much of the talk in the press and from the terraces has surrounded the fly-half position. It surprises me a little but I guess the number 10 spot is so high profile that they are always going to be under the microscope if we lose a match.
Obviously, we've gone through the Gloucester display and there were a number of aspects which needed to be addressed. James Brown's position, however, was not one of them. I thought there were a number of poor performances in that first-half but in the second, James ran the game well.
Tommy Hayes is a great natural talent but he would be the first to admit that, at present, James Brown is the best 'manager' of our game. He showed that at Kingsholm in the second-half and he gets the nod tomorrow.
They are both totally committed to Worcester and their heads have never dropped throughout the season. Indeed, when Tommy was disappointed with his form earlier in the campaign, he came into the office asking to play an 'A' team game. That shows his commitment to the cause.
What we have are two very professional fly-halves and James, at present, has the nod over Tommy. We have good competition for places and that can only be positive for Worcester.
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