Gillies: Phil has got the pack firing (From Worcester News)

Gillies: Phil has got the pack firing

10:00am Saturday 28th August 2010 in

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LONG-serving lock Craig Gillies has hailed the impact new Worcester Warriors forwards coach Phil Davies has had in his short time in charge of the Sixways pack.

The former Leeds and Scarlets boss was recruited from his role as Wales under 20s coach to become Richard Hill’s right-hand man at Sixways with a key responsibility for working with the forwards.

And line-out specialist Gillies, who will be making his 196th Worcester appearance in today’s Championship opener against Birmingham and Solihull at Sixways (3pm), has been impressed with Davies’ methods.

The 34-year-old second-row said: “Phil has a different way to working than what we are used to and we are enjoying it. There is bags of enthusiasm and lots of effort going into the sessions.

“Phil puts us under more pressure than we have been used to, but that emulates match conditions and the pace of the game.

“That will stand us in good stead and the more we work together as a group and with Phil it will pay dividends.”

Gillies joined Worcester in the old National Division One and helped them to promotion in his second season — something he is planning to emulate this term.

He said: “In my first year at Worcester we missed out on promotion by a handful of points, but the year after we won 26 out of 26 games and went up.

“It was certainly not a walk in the park, though, there were a lot of tough games, potential banana skins and a few times we nearly slipped up. But we kept our focus and driving towards that goal.

“The difference now is that we have a play-off system at the end of it — it’s not just about the marathon season and coming out on top. You have the play-offs to contend with and that will be an extra element I have not experienced.”

He added: “We are back where I first joined in the Championship, or as it was then National Division One, and although we would like to still be in the Premiership we are where we are and we have got our heads around that.

“There are new challenges and new coaches and players, but we are setting out to win it.

“I still get the excitement before the kick-off. Pre-season is hard work, but actually quite enjoyable at the start as you focus on different elements. But by the end you want to play competitive games and get out on the pitch. That is where we are now.”