MOTIVATING the team will not be a problem on Saturday even though things have been taken out of our hands.

First of all we're ready to get back playing again after practising all of last Saturday at Abberley School.

Then there's our very proud unbeaten home record to defend which stretches way back to October 1997.

The players also have a lot to play for as many of their contracts run out this summer.

Like anything else in sport there's been a lot of rumour, speculation and bar talk about rugby, the game's structure and premiership rugby.

The financial difficulties encountered by professional clubs have been well documented and we're in a position where we're going to be affected by these external factors.

We've got to cut our cloth accordingly and this summer the entire club is under review including the playing squad but this happens every season.

Saturday's opponents Wakefield have now appointed former England manager Geoff Cooke and will no doubt show a dramatic improvement.

Wales coach Graham Henry has said you must always give the opposition respect and as England found out to their cost nothing is certain during a game of rugby.

What we really need this week is a good start such as we got up at Wakefield with three early tries.

One of the problems in recent matches is that we've been playing catch up rugby and it can sometimes make us play a little frantically.

What we want is for the lads to come out and express themselves, give their all and then the management team can ask no more of them.

We've had a very interesting season and now that we've come down to the last four games the lads should go out to enjoy themselves, especially as the pressure has lifted.

Away from the first team the club's junior sides have been busy taking part in successful tours in both Scotland and Ireland.

The U13s have qualified to play at Twickenham at the end of May, the U15s and U16s did extremely well in Scotland and the U17s have had a cracking tour of Dublin.

We're delighted with our players who have all worn the Worcester shirt with pride and we would like to thank all the coaching staff who have done such a marvellous job.

But the last word must go to Scott Gibbs for his stunning try against England which turned the whole Five Nations Championship on its head. The angle of running was outstanding, and he showed pace, power skill and agility to score a truly world-class try.

Life is about opportunity and while Neil Jenkins landed the winning points England decided against going for a killer score minutes from time.

Games are won and lost on such decisions and I would like to offer the Welsh people of Worcester the heartiest congratulations.

Thursday, April 15, 1999