A DECISION to change Warriors’ training schedule proved crucial in their return to the Premiership, says high performance director Nick Johnston.

“Eight weeks from the end of the season, we changed the whole training load,” explained Johnston.

“We moved our training day to fit in with our biological clocks so we got used to waking up and going to bed at the right time as we would be playing in the evenings.

“We adjusted what the players ate and they were given extra food to take home from the nutritionist.

“There was a lot of one-to-one psychological support about belief, controlling emotion and controlling anxiety.

“We wanted to be in the best shape physically and mentally going into the last four games in particular. We just felt it would give us the edge.”

Warriors enlisted sports psychologist Robbie Anderson, who worked with Olympic canoe and taekwondo teams.

Anderson said: “One of the main things that attracted me to Warriors was when I saw they had talented, committed players and experienced, committed coaching staff.”

Warriors beat London Scottish in the Championship play-off semis before striking late in the final first leg at Bristol to seal a 29-28 victory.

Dean Ryan’s men hit back from 30-16 down with just 10 minutes remaining in the second leg to draw 30-30 and seal a remarkable one-point aggregate triumph.

Johnston joined Warriors in 2013 after working at Sale and Northampton.

He said: “We came in with a plan when we first arrived about what the whole operation needed to look like and compared it to a top-four side in the Premiership.

“There has been intensive recruitment with physiotherapists, massage therapists and rehabilitation specialists, strength and conditioning coaches, nutrition, psychology and changing the way we did things on a day-to-day basis.

“Because we were able to recruit the right people, we were able to bring in the right expertise and I would like to thank every member of the coaching team and the backroom staff. Their expertise, hard work and diligence was a major factor in us getting to the Premiership.”