IT may have hurt to watch, but there was a degree of inevitability about the defeat in Sunday's match at Saracens!

Worcester were up against one of the most expensively compiled sides in the country who have finally found top gear. They were relatively unaffected by the recent Six Nations and went into the game fresh and hungry for a much-needed victory.

The Hertfordshire club have also been given a new lease of life following the intervention of one of the sport's top international coaches.

Admittedly, there can be no excuse for missing tackles and dropping passes and the players and coaches have expressed huge frustration at the performance. They have proved already this season that they can beat Saracens and they should have made more of a match of it on Sunday.

But they won't lose an awful lot of sleep over the result.

It may have reduced their chances of reaching the end-of-season play-offs. They are now nine points off fourth place in the Guinness Premiership and, although they can do their prospects no harm by beating fourth-placed London Irish and fifth-placed Gloucester in their next two games, it may be too little too late.

Worcester might still sneak into Europe's top competition via the Challenge Cup or possibly even the league, especially if there is an English winner of this year's Heineken Cup.

But, if they don't make it, none of the Sixways management team will consider this season to be a failure.

Heineken Cup qualification was never actually on the agenda this time out -- even when the team was riding high just before Christmas. While the rest of us were celebrating dramatic victories against the likes of Saracens, Leicester and Northampton, the coaches were one step ahead of the game.

Director of rugby John Brain has known for a long time that his side need a plan `B'. They survived their first year in the Premiership with a solid set-piece and a dominant set of forwards. This year was about getting some wins early on and then developing a more dynamic style of play.

That is why the likes of Andy Gomarsall, Shane Drahm and Nicolas Le Roux were acquired in the summer and why Anthony Eddy was brought in to oversee the quiet revolution. It might also explain why Tom Harding has been preferred at open-side to the more destructive Johnny Tuamoheloa and why a talented footballer like Simon Whatling has been fast-tracked into the midfield.

Unfortunately, teams in transition tend to be inconsistent teams and that has been Worcester's downfall recently. They followed their courageous win at Bristol with a limp defensive display against Sale. They backed up their impressive effort at Leicester with a desperate performance against Leeds and then there was Sunday's horror show, which came after a magnificent victory over Wasps.

But, despite those setbacks, there has been no knee-jerk reaction from the management.

Responding to Sunday's defeat, Brain said this week: "I think we certainly had to have a good look at the performance and discuss aspects of it. We've dealt with it that way.

"We've not departed from any schedule. It's a six-day turnaround and there's not much physical training you can do."

Meticulous planning has gone into the development of this side and they are not about to let a few poor results throw it off course.

So often in this league, the teams that win are the teams that want it that bit more. Worcester have been on the back-foot early on against Sale, Leeds, and Saracens and were never able to get back in the game.

But that shouldn't detract from what Worcester are building -- a team capable of consistently competing with the best clubs in the land.

It may not be too pretty at the moment but Brain and chairman Cecil Duckworth are not short-termists and a little bit of patience could go a long way.