WE were given a little glimpse into the future this week when the Warriors overcame Leicester Tigers 52-21.

The coach John Brain picked an experienced side on Monday at Sixways but among the players on show were a number of youngsters who shone.

Ben Hughes, Ollie Smith, Neil Mason and Gary Trueman all played extremely well and it was an ideal opportunity to give them their chances.

The Warriors matches are vital for the development of Worcester because it gives the coaches a pressure-free environment to blood these youngsters. I know John Brain and Steve Townend have both been frustrated sometimes this season when second-team games have been called off at the last minute because they are important matches for Worcester.

It would be nice to see more clubs make it a priority to have a second team so that we could get a proper fixture list throughout the campaign. At present, there are only a handful of clubs who have them so it is difficult for coaches to arrange these games.

They may not be as glamorous as first team games but we at Worcester are well aware of their worth. Just ask those four lads who played on Monday. They played against a competitive Leicester side and came out of the game with their reputation, and confidence levels, boosted considerably.

It can be very frustrating for the academy players here at Worcester simply because their chances, at present, are so limited. That is, unfortunately, a symptom of the pressure here at the club to win promotion.

To be fair to the coaches, they are here to get the club into the Premiership and that is the bottom line. With that in mind, it will always be very difficult to throw youngsters in at the deep end. It is a criticism often aimed at Worcester that we lack a culture. That we are a quick-fix club trying to buy success. If you look through the academy, however, there are some cracking players coming through and not just the ones on show this week.

Jon Higgins, Dan Cullen, Pete Knight, Tom Warren, Chris Wilkes, Tom Richardson and the recovering Greg Meredith are just some of the names that surely have bright futures at the club. It is a great credit to them and Carl Douglas that they are now showing the patience and maturity which comes with being at Worcester.

They could probably go to many other National One clubs and be guaranteed first-team rugby but they know how special the club is at Sixways. They know they are part of a long-term objective and just have to work hard, keep learning but, importantly, keep their patience.

They will get their chances to impress within the Warriors set-up and that is when the coaches can make a decision on their progress. It is the perfect environment for the youngsters but also for fringe first teamers who have either suffered a drop in form or are coming back from injury.

Against Leicester you could see the lads were really enjoying their rugby. Sometimes, among all the hurly-burly of professional sport, that enjoyment gets forgotten.

This week, we have been getting back to enjoying rugby. We've been playing a lot of tag rugby in very different training sessions but the lads have loved it. It certainly isn't easy fitness wise but it really is good fun!

The break from first team action seems to have had a positive effect on all the players. Of course we didn't want to lose the Rotherham cup tie but I think that could work in our favour in the long run. You tend to find out about the workload throughout the season in the latter part and I'm confident that this rest has done the boys the world of good.