ORRELL were tipped by many pundits to be one of the big hitters in National One this season.

I always believed they would come to the boil after Christmas and, as their recent performance against Northampton suggested, the Edge Hall Road side should be bubbling quite nicely when Worcester visit on Saturday.

With promotion rivals Rotherham facing an equally tough test at Exeter, this weekend should prove to be pivotal in the race for the league title.

Rotherham's form has, arguably, fluctuated more than Worcester's this season and an Exeter victory at the County Ground should not be discounted.

Indeed, after dropping points against Birmingham & Solihull and Orrell, Rotherham will travel to Devon under pressure especially as they are now playing catch-up in the promotion race following the postponement of their match with Otley on Sunday.

Worcester lead the way but make the trip to Wigan with something to prove. The message still emanating from the North is that the Sixways side, up front, are a soft touch.

Memories of their second half capitulation at Millmoor are still fresh in the minds of rugby followers and Orrell certainly believe they can open those wounds up on the rock-hard pitch.

"The perception here is that Worcester have a soft underbelly," said an Orrell source close to the management team. "We have watched what happened at Rotherham on video and we know that they have now lost Mark Gabey and Richard Bates from their pack. At the moment the game is a doubt because of the frost but we want to play them now because we feel it's a good opportunity.

"I hope Worcester think they are going to be up against the same side which played at Sixways because they will be in for a big shock. We had had little preparation going into that match and, it's fair to say, we've added to the team since then and improved leaps and bounds.

"We were very unlucky against Northampton and should have beaten Rotherham at Millmoor recently. So I think they should know what a difficult game they face.

"We know Worcester's strengths are their backs. Their forward pack has let them down this season and we see that as a major weakness. That's where the game will be won on Saturday and we believe we will win it."

The theory of Worcester being a 'soft touch' has done the rounds so much now that it is more of an urban legend than actual truth. The pack lost the battle against Rotherham but only in the second half when they were a man down.

They go into Saturday's match without the services of Gabey and Bates but any back row containing Jim Jenner, Gavin Pfister and Christian Evans must be taken seriously. It would be nice to see Bates, Gabey and Evans in the pack together but it seems as though that may be some way away.

The game promises to be some spectacle with both sides dedicated to keeping ball in hand. If that's not enough, though, it will also feature some fascinating sub plots. Not least the sight of Scott Barrow at full back.

The former St Helens star, who left Worcester in the summer in order to return to his roots, has been switched to 15 because of the form of Scottish international outside centre Andy Craig.

Craig's form has not only made Barrow into a full back, it has had a knock-on effect for Worcester's Ben Hinshelwood. The centre, whose superb form at club level has been rewarded with regular Scottish rugby, is now making a name for himself at full back for his country.

With the outside centre path blocked by Craig, Hinshelwood has been played at 15 by coach Ian McGeechan and the former Bedford man has given himself a real chance of making the Scotland World Cup squad after a number of solid international displays.

Saturday's midfield battle between Craig and Hinshelwood will be one to watch as will the performance of Barrow at full back. Ironically, because of Duncan Roke's injury, the former Saint could have been playing at 15 this weekend for Worcester if he had stayed on.

More than anything, this match offers Worcester the chance to make a definitive statement about their forward power against an opponent of genuine quality. The squad is below strength but there is enough quality there to make their presence felt at Orrell.

The chance for redemption in sport is rare. It should not be passed up at Edge Hall Road.