CECIL Duckworth believes Worcester Rugby Club are primed for the Premiership if the RFU decides on a top level shake-up.

The Sixways chairman remains optimistic that Premier Rugby and the governing body will look at increasing the size of the Premiership from 12 to 14 clubs at the end of the season.

And he will be wearing his Leeds Tykes colours on Friday night as the Yorkshire club travel to Harlequins for what could be one of the most important games in the professional sport's history.

If Leeds beat Quins it will go a long way to sealing the glamour club's fate as they languish at the bottom of the division. However, a Tykes victory is likely to spark a restructure of the top flight with a 14-club format favoured rather than relegating such a celebrated club from the elite.

If that happens, Duckworth is confident Worcester will be a big hit in the Premiership.

"We will be ready," he said. "We have improved substantially this year with the playing and coaching staff and we go into next season in very good shape. It is in the RFU strategic plan to expand. Whether this is the time, we are not sure but we'd rather think that they would. We would certainly start from a strong base because we have continuity in the coaching, the players and a real team spirit.

"Friday's match is a big game for both clubs and for what the repercussions for English rugby could be. I, of course, hope that there is an expansion of the Premiership and if the RFU did decide on expansion we would be ready. I feel we would benefit the game at the top level.

"Rotherham have won the league this season but I think we have better facilities, a better academy, our location is excellent and we would attract better support. I know we would be a better club than Rotherham in the Premiership."

The multi-millionaire is also critical of the South Yorkshire club's facilities which, he feels, have given them an unfair advantage in their championship season.

"It's not sour grapes because they've played some good rugby this season. However their ground has given them a huge advantage this year, there's no doubt about it. We, in the first division, have been lobbying for some time now at getting some minimum requirements for the league clubs such as they now have in the Premiership. I'm pleased that Rotherham are having to move to the football stadium because they will now lose that advantage. It's not been fair basically because their ground has just not been up to standard."

Standards at Sixways have been under Duckworth's scrutiny this season after another year without promotion. But he firmly believes that the club has found the winning combination with coaches John Brain and Andy Keast.

"Of course it was disappointing that Steve Townend's appointment did not work out but we took the decision to change things when it became clear it was not working.

"We would have liked to keep him at the club but he felt he had to move on. It's very important that the coaches have a good relationship and John and Andy certainly work very well together. That is tremendously heartening. It's just unfortunate that we didn't have them together for the start of the season because some of the performances since the turn of the year have been excellent.

"Success is a commodity which is very difficult to obtain. You have to find people with the right vision and there are not many about. Look at Leicester with Dean Richards. Nobody was sure that he would be a success when he took over but he is now established as a coach. In football there are people like Kevin Keegan at Manchester City who have a vision and an ability to motivate but there are not many around.

"We've lost out on promotion because of defeats to Coventry and Exeter and our inability to pick up bonus points. The amount of times we've scored three tries instead of four was, of course, disappointing and in contrast to that Rotherham managed to win so many bonus points in the last 10 minutes of matches. In the end, we let them get away and they could afford to lose the odd match because they were not under pressure. Because of that lack of pressure, they could also play with a bit more freedom which also helps enormously.

"However, our team is now playing for each other and they believe in one another. That is the difference between just scraping wins and putting together big scores which they have been doing since Andy's appointment."

And for Duckworth, the two coaches are building a fresh, welcome perception about Worcester which is not simply based around money -- his money!

"We've brought in the big name players which haven't brought the bacon home and haven't made the kind of impact they should have done. John and Andy want players who are hungry and ones which can be developed. The coaches are quite happy to develop players and that is important.

"It's very difficult to find the right combination but I think we are getting there. We are finding the right players now with the right motivations."