THE squad are facing a new experience on Saturday when we travel to Exeter - being underdogs!

We go to the County Ground knowing that they will really fancy their chances of victory and will probably be expecting to win the game.

It will be nice to have the pressure wrestled from our shoulders for once because normally we are simply expected to beat everyone and anyone.

That pressure was evident at the weekend when we were disappointing against Rugby Lions. We won the game 30-5 but didn't play to our potential and missed out on the bonus point. A lot of people were frustrated after the match but we feel going into the Exeter game that the expectation levels are not quite as high.

Don't get me wrong, we are desperate to win and believe we will but the very fact that Exeter have a good side and a difficult pitch to play on means that the expectations are not so massive. They have a really good side this season and have already chalked up a victory at Clifton Lane in what many described as a shock. I don't think, however, that it was a particularly shocking result to us at Worcester because we know Rotherham can be beaten.

Exeter, if given opportunities, will beat you and after a couple of games where our discipline hasn't been great, we know we must improve. I think we have to go there and try to win the game first and foremost - the same for any other match. Victory would be great whether we get the bonus point or not because it is a really tough game, one of the hardest of the campaign.

Four or five points would certainly be a huge tonic for us. Everyone was really down after the Rugby display but the pressure we are now putting ourselves under is immense.

Some individuals in the crowd got a little over-zealous and began abusing certain players which was disappointing. Of course people pay their money and are entitled to an opinion but some of it was a little extreme.

I think 99 per cent of Worcester's supporters are first rate and the ones who follow us up and down the country are fantastic. But there are a few individuals, particularly vocal ones, who are doing themselves, the club and the players no credit whatsoever.

Let's set the record straight. We didn't play particularly well on Saturday but we still won the match and lead the table.

We are the first ones to hold our hands up when we don't play as well as we can but there is a difference between not playing well and not trying.

Every player against Rugby tried their hearts out but things just didn't go to plan. That is when we need support, not criticism and boos.

OK, come up to us and criticise after the match but there seems little point in having a go at a player in the middle of a game. It simply makes him over-anxious and more likely to make handling errors. Look at Chris Yates. He gets dreadful stick every game and simply for playing his role in the team!

Sixways is supposed to be our fortress where it's us against the world. We've got enough knockers around the country without these people turning on us.

The problem is that negativity is as infectious as cheering the players on. If someone is sitting next to you shouting negative things, other people tend to buy into that mentality. One thing which sums it up is the reaction of the players after matches. The dressing room at the moment is like we are on a losing run of 10 games!

That is how difficult it is to play under the pressure and levels of expectancy. I just wish some would look at the table and see that Worcester have played 11 and lost one game while Rotherham have already lost two out of 10.

We are all on the same side so let's get behind one another and we'll be drinking champagne from the same cup at the end of the season!