DIRECTOR of rugby Gary Gold admits Worcester Warriors will face an “unbelievably tough” challenge at Aviva Premiership high-flyers Wasps on Sunday (2.30pm).

The Coventry-based outfit are top of the Premiership and in the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup after another strong campaign under boss Dai Young.

Wasps have won their last five Premiership matches against Worcester since Warriors triumphed 29-23 at Sixways in March 2013.

An understrength Warriors suffered a 62-10 mauling at the hands Wasps in November when the clubs met at the Ricoh Arena in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Second-from-bottom Warriors picked up a crucial 41-24 home win against basement boys Bristol in their last Premiership outing.

“It will be a very different challenge and I have a feeling it will be very much in the same vein of the task we had playing against Exeter Chiefs,” said Gold.

“Wasps are a very good ball-in-hand team, have a strong set piece and very little wrong with the team from one to 15 with great strength in depth and game breakers for fun.

“They have a 90 per cent goal kicker (Jimmy Gopperth) so it doesn’t get any easier and they also have a good record at the Ricoh.

“Wasps have it all to play for and are top the table at the moment.

"I imagine they want to secure a home semi-final spot as soon as possible and so we will have our work cut out.”

An injury ravaged Wasps overcame Warriors 26-12 at Sixways December but Worcester almost pulled off a shock victory at the Ricoh last term.

Warriors led 22-20 until the final two minutes in the January 2016 contest and looked worthy of picking up a win after adopting a stifling, defensive approach.

But last-gasp tries from Frank Halai and Sailosi Tagicakibau left Warriors shell-shocked after a cruel 32-22 defeat.

Worcester had led 13-3 at the interval, frustrated Wasps and were the better side for 78 minutes but left empty-handed.

Wasps have lost just one of their last nine Premiership matches and once at the Ricoh this term against Ospreys in the Anglo-Welsh Cup in February.

Gold has steered Warriors to two Premiership wins from four matches since arriving at Sixways at the end of January.

“It’s going to be the measure of how far we have come and we must understand the challenge is going to be unbelievably tough,” said Gold.

“We are playing a genuinely world-class team and I am excited about that challenge.

“We have worked really hard and I would like to believe this group of players are going to be up for it.”

Warriors have won just three of their last 30 away Premiership matches since the beginning of the 2013/14 season.

But Gold says Warriors’ poor away record is not something that bothers him.

“In my first game we went to Cardiff when we prepared really well and won," said Gold.

“I lost the game at Northampton Saints and I can’t let that worry us.

“My issue is about the way we prepare.

“I can’t see possibly why if you have to travel a short distance to Coventry or even Newcastle why that should affect you."

He added: "If your preparation is done correctly, you need to go out and execute and it doesn’t really matter where you do that.

“I would like to hope it isn’t a factor in the players’ minds – I just don’t think we played well enough (at Northampton).

“I am not going to make a big deal about it with the players but I am going to make a big deal about the quality of our preparation. That’s essential.”