THERE is a theory doing the rounds at the moment which suggests Worcester will prevail over Northampton in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premiership because their players have more experience of scrapping for their lives.

It is something of a moot point. A number of players involved in the Sixways rescue mission two seasons ago have long since departed, while Saints have spent large chunks of each of the last three seasons looking over their shoulders.

But if it is true Worcester have the stomach for a dogfight, no-one would appear to embody that more than the club's Anglo-Australian fly-half Shane Drahm.

The diminutive kicker was playing for Saints when they met Warriors on the last day of the 2004-2005 season with both side's top-flight future in the balance - just one of a number of times he has found himself at the wrong end of the table.

"I have been in England for six years now and I have been in a relegation battle for five of them. I have been relegated once with Bristol.

"It's obviously not a position we want to be in but I think this is why we have stuck together so well as a team.

"We said to each other when we were nine points behind at the bottom, it would be pretty special, it would be like making a miracle happen.

"So far, everything has gone as planned and we are off the bottom. To achieve safety after where we were will be something special."

Worcester's players will have a far better idea of what they need to do to escape a return to National One when they take the field at London Irish on Sunday.

By that time, Northampton will have played Wasps at Adams Park and if the hosts secure victory, a Warriors win will guarantee survival.

Drahm admits he will be keeping an eye on his former team-mates but doesn't think the result from High Wycom-be will change the way he approaches his match.

"I will probably want to know the result," he said. "I don't really get nervous before games. It doesn't bother me either way. If Northampton win then we definitely have to win.

"If they lose, it takes a little bit of pressure off. I will probably watch the first-half and see how things are going.

"This weekend is important and we are just focused on what we have to do. It's hard to hide away from the significance of it. It has been building on us for a while now.

"We have been in this position pretty much from about week eight when we went from almost a guaranteed drop to slowly fighting our way back. All of a sudden we are off the bottom.

"We have done the hard work and now we have to get that last final win and hopefully guarantee our safety."