BACK-ROW forward Carl Kirwan believes Worcester Warriors will need to step up a level for their European Challenge Cup trip to Italian side Zebre this weekend.

Kirwan made his competitive debut for Worcester in Saturday’s 19-3 win against French club La Rochelle in their opening group match at Sixways.

A late try from Ben Howard sealed Worcester’s victory, while Ryan Lamb kicked 14 points in a poor match littered with mistakes and penalties in wet conditions.

“Every player coming to a new club wants to get a game and it’s been a tough start for me but the team has done really well and come,” said Kirwan, the former London Welsh captain.

“Worcester have come into the Premiership and asserted their authority and I have no complaints in that department. When I get my chance I need to take it and, hopefully, I have done enough.

“I’d be in the wrong career if it hadn’t been a frustrating few weeks. The competition in the back row is huge.

“Last year, people in the back row were excellent players and Worcester have strengthened it with Phil Dowson and Marco Mama so it has just got stronger and stronger.”

Kirwan acknowledged Saturday’s game would have been frustrating to watch from the stands but felt Warriors took the points when they had the opportunity.

He felt the biggest moment in the game was when Warriors’ defence held firm after replacement prop Gareth Milasinovich was yellow carded in the second-half.

“When you receive a yellow card you are always under threat,” he said.

“They kicked to the corner and we turned over the ball which was good driving defence and it’s something that Hoggy (Carl Hogg) will look at and be happy with.

“They had some big boys and to stop a maul was good work from the pack.

“I thought it was a huge moment in the match. They couldn’t break us down and it settled the ship for us when we turned over the ball.”

Kirwan joined Warriors in the summer from relegated Welsh and had been linked with a move to the club in the past.

“I had a few conversations with Dean Ryan in the past and he was interested but, at the time, it wasn’t right.

“But looking at how the club is developing and what Dean wants from the club and, for my development, it was a good move and I decided to come along.

"It was fantastic to captain a side in the Premiership but it was a tough season for London Welsh last year. It could have been better but I was fortunate to have such an experience to captaining a side in the top flight.”

He believes Warriors must step up their level of performance for the trip to Zebre.

“We know we can do better because the game should have been put past La Rochelle before we scored at the end,” said Kirwan, “The effort was there – we can’t fault the effort – it’s just the systems that need to be looked at and then we will get down to work.

“When you go away from home to a place like Zebre, it’s going to be tough.

"We have to raise the physicality and up the structures in our game.”