NEW year, new Worcester? Well not too much, I hope. We can be proud of our efforts since August 31 and on Saturday, as we reach the half way stage, there is a chance to see how much we have improved.

We played Coventry on the opening day of the season and came away from Coundon Road with victory but only just after they came back well. Of course, we have improved dramatically since that day but we know also that Coventry will have come on since then.

Having looked through the record books I have also seen that Worcester lost to them at Sixways last season so the squad is fully aware of the challenge ahead. Coventry have some very talented players and none more so than Zinzan Brooke who is a legend in rugby.

I remember lining up against him back in 1997 when I was playing Super 12 against the all-conquering Auckland side. I was a young man finding my way through the sport then facing some of the legends of the game. Who would have thought that six years on we would be meeting up again in Worcester!

Saturday's game represents the start of what is a great month for us at Worcester. We have Coventry first up before trips to Orrell and Exeter later in January - what a start to the year. The players are well aware of just how difficult these games will be but we are all relishing the challenges.

It's not something we want to miss out on. Professional sport is all about testing yourselves against the best and those three teams have some of the top National One players at present.

We go into the match on the back of the Powergen Cup defeat at Leicester. It was a little frustrating but there were many aspects to be pleased about. When we talk about the Tigers, we are talking about the very best in the business and at half time at Welford Road we were just three points adrift.

The second half display was disappointing but it did serve to illustrate just how fully focused you need to be against the best. We made some mistakes and were punished ruthlessly. We also failed to take some chances and were made to pay. That's the top and bottom of it at the highest level because games are decided by very small margins. If you look through our squad, though, 70 per cent of them haven't played at the top level and it was a really good experience for them.

The New Year is a time for fresh hopes and resolutions. My main hope, apart from a South Africa Test win!, is that English rugby gets its house in order with regards to promotion and relegation. We have seen what strides England have made in recent years but I genuinely believe that the top clubs will shoot themselves in the foot if they continue to talk about scrapping relegation.

Sport needs ambition and to deny it would close off potential talent and interest in the game. Worcester wouldn't be in the position we are without that ambition and Cecil Duckworth's investment. Without the incentive of progression that investment would not be here and the same goes for places such as Orrell. Hopefully the New Year can bring some common sense to the table because, whatever some think, it's not all about money.