WERNER Swanepoel has called on his Worcester team-mates to play it cool at Bedford today.

The Sixways skipper watched on in Worcester's opening National One match of the season at Otley as tempers spilled over.

On that day, Craig Gillies was yellow carded before Chris Hall was shown a straight red for his part in a mass punch up at Cross Green.

Since then, Neil Lyman has also been sin-binned for punching an opponent and Swanepoel is insisting that the lack of discipline has to stop if Worcester are to win the title this season.

"We cannot lose our cool because we have to be professional at places like Bedford," he said.

"We have a responsibility and a lack of discipline will not be tolerated by me or by the coaches John Brain and Andy Keast.

"We are fully aware that teams will want to wind us up because many will see it as their best chance of success. Certainly it is easier for teams to beat us if we are a man down.

"Discipline is a key area in rugby and if you lose it, you can easily lose the game. Bedford is going to be a very tough test for us, particularly with our discipline.

"They will try to wind us up. I saw it last season down there and I'm sure they will try it again. We beat them easily at Sixways last season but at their place they are always a different proposition.

"They will get the crowd behind them and it will be a tough opening 20 minutes.

"It's up to us to keep them quiet and impose our game on them. What we must do, though, is be totally professional."