It’s mission impossible for Warriors says Hill (From Worcester News)

It’s mission impossible for Warriors says Hill

9:30am Monday 28th January 2013 in Sport

WARRIORS head coach Richard Hill reckons qualification for the knock-out stages of the LV=Cup is almost impossible following defeat to London Irish.

However, he revealed he would still select his strongest possible side for the final pool clash with Saracens at Sixways this Saturday.

Worcester suffered a 46-24 loss at the Madejski Stadium yesterday to trail Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers in the race for top spot in Pool Two of the competition. However, with the resumption of Aviva Premiership rugby under a fortnight away — Warriors visit Bath on February 9 — Hill admitted he would go all out against Saracens to give his team a lift.

He said: “Qualification is difficult now. Leicester and Sale picked up bonus points so that makes it tough, almost impossible.

“For us it’s now about getting a good win on home soil and we will put a full strength side out on Saturday in preparation for the game with Bath.

“We have been building up gradually to the start of the Premiership again and this week will be full on.”

Hill added: “Over the last three games we have given people who have not had much rugby the chance to play.

“Apart from our defence, a lot of things went well against Irish and I can’t fault the young lads who all played well. But as a team we have got to defend better.”

Hill was also pleased with how some of his Warriors young guns fared against more experienced oppostion.

The Sixways chief said: “Many of our players enjoyed the game in a bizarre way; it was a fast and open game that was played in a good spirit.

“Irish went full ball and put their full side out. We had young people like Ollie Hayes, James Currie and Richard de Carpentier out there and they did well.”

But he continued: “We have kept a lot of players back and we knew, when we saw their team, it was going to be a tough ask away from home.

“If you don’t stop their runners they are very good, given that they had more quality ball and their strike runners like Marland Yarde looked dangerous in space.”