TO say this season is becoming a personal frustration is the understatement of the year!

I went into Sunday's Bristol match desperate to get another 80 minutes under my belt and ended up leaving the field after just 20.

I've suffered a rib injury but it's not too bad so I'm hoping to be back for the Pertemps Bees match next weekend.

It's one of those injuries that is maddening, though, because you have to just let it settle down, you can't train that much. Therefore I'm behind the eight ball again with my fitness and that's desperately annoying.

After having the Achilles and then knee problems this season, I thought my bad luck was over this season but you have to be positive and look at the advantages. It's not a massive setback and I'll be back soon and it does remind of how wonderful it is to be fit and playing regularly. I can't wait to string four or five games together!

The match at The Memorial Stadium was a really interesting one despite the scoreline. We won 10-3 which seems to suggest that is was a dull affair. I think it was anything but boring. The players deserve a massive pat on the back because, let's be clear, they came through a real character test.

It was one of those games where everything seemed against us. The weather poured down and hampered handling, the referee was penalising us for more penalties than I've ever seen us concede and you could see the Bristol boys fancying their chances in front of a 4,000 plus crowd.

That type of environment can make you go one way or the other. Thankfully for us, the boys showed real discipline and a focus which bodes well for the future. It's in those moments where you learn more about your squad.

It's great when everything is going well and the wins are coming left, right and centre. But when things are tough, that is the time you learn about your team-mates.

I thought they were exceptional. People will say that we dropped a point but I have to disagree with that. For me, it was four points gained. We now look at the table and we've won 10 out of 10 and have a four-point advantage over our nearest rivals Orrell.

Having seen the way Bristol defended and the character shown by those youngsters, I think any team going to the Memorial Stadium in the second half of the season will have their work cut out.

What we have to do now is make sure we do ourselves justice at Sixways on Saturday.

Penzance and Newlyn are the visitors and, although they've had a difficult start to their season, I think they will come to Worcester and try to enjoy the occasion. They will go into the game feeling they have nothing to lose and that means we have to be ultra-professional in our approach.

It is the final home game before Christmas so we want to give our supporters an early present before that clash with the Bees.