IT may be the first game of the season tomorrow but the outcome could give fans a big clue about Worcester's Premier-ship prospects.

Will they be Heineken Cup contenders or relegation strugglers?

The answer may be a little clearer after they have hosted Bristol tomorrow in their first competitive game for three months.

Then again, if last season's grim opener with Gloucester is anything to go by, it may be a tense affair that sheds little light on the potential of either side.

Most bookies, and pundits for that matter, have Bristol and Worcester as first and second favourites to go down at the end of the season and, if Warriors lose at home on the first day of the season, their odds of beating the drop will be longer still.

None of which matters a jot to the players and management at Sixways. They have defied the odds in both of their first two seasons at Sixways and will back themselves to do so again.

They may not have the strength in depth of most Guinness Premiership squads but their fighting spirit could be worth an extra player or two.

Any side that comes out of the traps slowly could find themselves cut adrift in the same way Leeds were last season. If that doesn't happen, there could be as many as seven teams fighting it out for survival.

That's why seeing off their West Country rivals at Six-ways would ease the tension around Sixways.

With the league being as competitive as it is, predicting final positions is a mugs game. But I would back Worcester to continue the improvements they have made over their first two seasons in the Premier-ship.

There are plenty of reasons to be positive. Firstly, great teams have five top-class back rowers. Worcester have four exceptional players and, in James Collins and Gavin Quinnell, have another two with vast potential.

Pat Sanderson is the outstanding member of that group but Tom Harding's role in the team could be just as critical this season.

Sanderson is expected to play at six and could miss large chunks of the season because of his involvement with England. Harding is an orthodox open-side and has every opportunity to make that position his own.

His tackling is not quite as awesome as his captain's but he does bring other attributes and, if Warriors throw the ball about as well as they did at the end of last season, he could be one of the main beneficiaries.

Another reason Worcester fans should be excited is the mouth-watering prospect of Aisea Havili and Marcel Garvey playing on the flanks. They will have few equals as far as genuine pace is concerned and, if Uche Oduoza continues his impressive development, Warriors will have some thrilling options on the wing.

Oduoza was one of a number of young players to make his mark last season and, along with Simon Whatling, Richard Blaze and Nick Runciman, will hope to become a regular squad player this season.

Other players will hope to step up to the mark and fans can expect to see glimpses of Collins, Will Bowley, Callum Black, Matt Mullan, Jamie Lennard and Chris Pennell in the club's European games.

If nothing else, it should be a fascinating season.

Whether it is a successful one or not is harder to say but tomorrow may just give us an indication.