FACING Leicester at Wel-ford Road, where the Tigers recently lost for the first time in five years, is not every giant-killing hopeful's idea of a good cup draw.

But Chris Pearson will be watching enviously from the sidelines as his Worcester team-mates tackle the Zurich Premiership champions to-day.

The South African hooker missed out because of a recently-pinned broken wrist which is expected to sideline him for another four weeks, and he sees it as an opportunity lost rather than a match to miss.

"The guys have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It gives us a chance to show what we can do against the best and it's the sort of rugby we want to be playing week in and week out," said Pearson, disappointed he was denied the chance to pit his skills against Tigers flanker Josh Kronfeld, an old friend from back home.

But he hopes that sort of opportunity will come on a regular basis before too long.

Pearson, formerly with Natal Sharks, spent a season with Bedford in the Premiership in 1999 and is adamant the overall standard of the English game has improved so much that the quality at the top of National One is now better than what he was involved in then.

"The game a couple of weeks ago against Rotherham was definitely Currie Cup standard," he added.

"And that's the kind of rugby we are striving for. Rotherham might be ahead but we are picking up more bonus points and that could be crucial. They didn't get their bonus point at the weekend and we did. I think it will come down to the home game against Rotherham."

First comes the clash with Leicester and although you can get huge odds against Worcester pulling off an upset, Pearson claims that a shock is "definitely a possibility".

He admitted: "There's going to be a danger of the guys getting caught up in the whole thing and getting overawed by the occasion but I hope that doesn't happen.

"It's something they are going to have to get hold of. We have some big guys and know how to handle ourselves.

"Keeping our composure in the atmosphere of the moment will be the key. We just have to hold it together, keep our game plan and not get overawed and we can give them something to think about."