WORCESTER Warriors must “get off the line” against high-flying Leicester Tigers on Saturday (3pm) and “impose themselves on the opposition”.

That’s the rallying call from Worcester Warriors full back Chris Pennell after his side shipped 104 points in their last two matches.

Warriors have the second-worst defensive record in the league after a 50-12 battering at Exeter Chiefs and 54-35 defeat to Wasps.

They have conceded 523 points, just 27 fewer than Premiership basement-boys London Irish, who look set for relegation after a 13-6 defeat at second-from-bottom Newcastle Falcons.

“We get our confidence through our defence and have to make sure against Leicester we are right back up there,” said Pennell.

“I feel it’s quite an easy fix. We need to get back to being confident and getting off the line.

“We get our energy in games from our defence – that’s what wins games and what all the top teams do so well.

“We have got the attacking shape and framework to cause teams issues, as we’ve shown a lot this season, but ultimately everything hangs on the defence.”

Warriors picked up a losing bonus point after breaching Wasps’ line six times.

But Pennell continued: “If we concede more tries than we score, we are generally going to lose games so we need to make sure we can address that balance.

“We want to play open rugby but we’ve been so good defensively at times this season when we have switched on in that area and it creates more opportunities for us to attack.

“We knew Wasps were dangerous all over the park and could play from everywhere.

“We had gone into the game looking to pin them in their half in the opening 40 minutes. But, with the wind behind us, we were too soft and let them out.

“We went into a second half with nothing to lose and it’s fairly easy to play in those circumstances.

“We now need to be better at imposing our game from minute one.”

Wasps wing Christian Wade scored a remarkable six tries to equal the Premiership record.

“We probably gifted him a few of those but he showed some individual brilliance as well,” added Pennell.