TO dare, to dare again, ever to dare!

These little revolutionaries from Worcester finally won the day as the establishment crumbled away amid scenes of unadulterated joy at Sixways.

Harlequins' defeat to Sale meant that the Warriors and Saints could celebrate their Premiership survival on a day few Worcester supporters will ever forget.

Drew Hickey's try, five minutes before time, pierced the almost unbearable tension which had gripped the sell-out crowd all afternoon and sparked euphoria in the stands.

On a sun-kissed afternoon, it was a momentous finale and, when news of London Irish's defeat at Newcastle filtered through, the fans had more reason to cheer as Worcester's wild card play-off place was announced.

With the odds stacked so heavily against them and a mountain of injuries to a newly assembled squad, nine victories and survival is a magnificent achievement.

As the bitterness of Quins' departure is played out, Worcester are unlikely to receive the credit they deserve but their feat is there for all to see. The Warriors were welcomed into the Premiership to play their part as plucky losers but they remain to fight another day.

With five teams threatened by the drop, everyone was glued to the radio and, for much of the afternoon, the news from the Stoop was that Quins were on the road to redemption.

So, when Worcester found themselves 6-0 down from the boot of Sixways-bound Shane Drahm, the picture was becoming increasingly bleak for the Warriors. With Drahm running the show for the Saints, he made a mockery of the suggestion that this game could be a difficult one.

The Queenslander looked a class act as he squeezed through Worcester's defence, kicked immaculately and passed with supreme accuracy.

However, once the Warriors got themselves in range, they always looked a threat. And, after five minutes of possession around the Saints line, Matt Powell burst through for a try which put the smile back on Worcester faces. James Brown's conversion gave the home side the lead but when wing Paul Diggin broke free, following a decidedly forward-looking pass, and Drahm converted, the pressure was cranked up once again.

True to form, Worcester responded. Powell's burst caught the Saints napping and Dale Ras-mussen went under the posts and Brown's coversion, just before the break, gave his side the edge.

Much of the pre-match talk surrounded Drahm and the possibility of him kicking the penalty which sent his new employers down. And, with 16 minutes left, he looked as if he was going to do just that as he booted a difficult three-pointer through the posts to nudge the Saints back in front.

With five minutes left and the picture still unclear at the Stoop, the anxiety was almost overwhelming for the supporters. However, from a training-ground move, Hickey collected the pass and just about dragged his weary body over the line as the din reverberated around Sixways.

Tommy Hayes' conversion was needed because of Paul Grayson's late penalty but, when news of Quins' demise hit Worcester, the tension finally faded away as the partying began.

Friday's wildcard clash at Vicarage Road now awaits the Warriors and, after finding themselves one game away from relegation, they are now two wins from Heineken Cup qualification.

Survival has always been the goal at Sixways but, you have to suspect, that this season was simply the beginning. The Warriors are on the march.

WORCESTER: Delport 8; Pieters 7, Rasmussen 8, Lombard 8, Hinshelwood 7; Brown 7, Powell 7; Windo 8, Van Niekerk 7, Lyman 8, Murphy 7, Gillies 8, Vaili 7, H Sanderson 9, Hickey 8. Replacements: Sparks, Daly 6 (Van Niekerk 68), Blaze, Mason 6 (Vaili 64), Cole, Hayes 6 (Brown 64), O'Leary.