WARRIORS director of rugby Dean Ryan is expecting Doncaster Knights to be “fully-loaded” for the British and Irish Cup final showdown at Castle Park.

Former Warriors coach Clive Griffiths, now the director of rugby at Doncaster, says it would be a fairy-tale to clinch the trophy on home soil on Good Friday (April 3) at 5.10pm.

Ryan said: “I expect Doncaster to be pretty fully loaded and try to win it.

“It would a great return for them.

We have got a challenge to be able to take our developing group and win the game — so it will be a real challenge.”

Worcester are using the competition to give opportunities to players on the fringe of the first team and booked their place in the final after a 15-13 win against title holders Leinster ‘A’.

Doncaster caused a major upset by recording a 27-22 semi-final home success against Bristol.

Warriors have recorded a double over Doncaster in this season’s Greene King IPA Championship but were made to work hard in both matches.

Worcester sealed a 32-16 success at Castle Park in September and laboured to a 25-5 win after a dour first-half in January’s meeting at Sixways.

Ryan said: “Doncaster have improved massively and I thought it was a pretty strong side which Bristol put out against them in the semi-final. Full credit to Doncaster — they have got a home final and it’s a tough place to go.”

He added: “We have played Doncaster a couple times so we are aware of the challenges from a Championship perspective and I am sure they will view it as a different challenge to us.”

After Worcester Cavaliers’ Aviva A-League final agony against Saracens Storm, Ryan was impressed with how a similar group of players engineered last week’s win against Leinster ‘A’.

“We lost the A-League final because we didn’t really understand how to win a game,” said Ryan.

“We won the game against Leinster because we were under pressure from a sharp side and worked out how to win it.”

Ryan continued: “We have not chopped and changed an enormous amount in the British and Irish Cup and the group of players see it as their vehicle to improve and show they should be in the Saturday side in the Championship.

“This is a development tournament and the A-League is a development tournament. I always think it’s disappointing when someone takes their ego into the situation."