THE snapshot of Uche Oduoza's thrilling raw talent has remained a Sixways highlight this season.

The flying winger showed his vast potential when his try treble brought the house down in December during Worcester's demolition of Rovigo.

And, with him due to sign professional terms next week, the Warriors have underlined their commitment to bringing on young English talent in the most ferocious environment -- the Zurich Premiership.

Worcester's achievement this season cannot be understated after picking up seven top-flight victories in their maiden Premiership campaign.

But, after under 21s James Percival and Mark Hopley both had their heads turned by Northampton this week, the finger of suspicion was pointed in Worcester's direction.

But to criticise the club in the face of two academy departures is bewilderingly unimaginative. How on earth, within a system which does everything possible to ensure you don't survive past your first Premiership plunge, do you blood youngsters with the odds stacked so heavily against you?

Ultimately, professional sport is defined by results. You live and die by them and, after losing potential such as Andrew Higgins in the past to the Premiership bright lights, Wor-cester know just how ruthless life is at the top.

Percival and Hopley, however good they may be in the future, simply weren't yet up to Premiership standard and to throw them in wouldn't have helped anybody.

In the cut-throat environment of the top-flight, would anyone have pulled Tim Collier and Drew Hickey out of the first team to give youth a chance? The Premiership stage is not one for rehearsals and there are only so many times you can fluff your lines.

"If James and Mark have been promised first team rugby by a member of Northampton's academy then I think they need to be wary of that promise," said Worcester's director of rugby John Brain. "We would never promise them something that we couldn't deliver and we could never promise them first team rugby.

"With James and Mark, we have not made them contract offers so they haven't rejected anything from us."

"It is difficult to blood youngsters in the first season but it will also be difficult in the second season if it remains a results orientated business," added Sixways head coach Andy Keast.

"You only put people in if you feel they can do a job. You don't put them in a Premiership team to give them experience because meanwhile you lose.

"We're responsible for judging whether our youngsters in our academies are good enough and academies mean exactly that. It is an on-going education.

"We might sign three, two or none from the academy. The only reason you are going to sign them is if you believe they have a Premiership future.

"It's all about judgements and that's what we're paid for."

Premiership clubs are still looking for the answer. A lack of 'A' games during an intense campaign makes it all the more difficult to assess a player's present worth but link-ups with National One outfits offer a possible solution.

Worcester have loaned out Neil Mason, Jon Higgins and Percival to Coventry this season, while Mark Gabey took the trip to Exeter and another academy starlet Will Bowley has been playing at London Welsh.

"What you'll find is that a lot more academy players will find themselves on loan at National One and Two level in order to get meaningful rugby," added Brain.

"The Zurich 'A' games are few and far between and National One is not a bad standard for young players to develop in."

There have been positive vibes emanating from Coventry over a possible long-term link-up after Worcester's three young guns made an impression.

The Warriors, though, insist that no deal has been done.

"We've lent them three players this season but there's no formal or informal agreement," said Keast.

"A link-up would suggest it's two ways and it's certainly not that. There was a player we were interested in trialling there and they refused to let us.

"If they think they've got a good link with us then let's be perfectly honest -- they haven't."