WHILST Sunday’s result might not define who will maintain their Premiership status come the end of the season, it is, in the words of Gary Gold, a game where the ‘consequences are big’.
A win for Warriors would put them six or seven points above the league’s basement side, but if Bristol were to do the double over Worcester, not only would the Sixways side hit rock bottom, but their quest for Premiership survival would be out of their hands with just five games remaining.
Other than Ben Te’o, who is on course to land a Six Nations Grand Slam with England, Warriors have the majority of their big hitters back, including Heem and Hougaard.
Not many people would have expected Warriors to be in another relegation scrap, but I’m sure many would have also argued before the campaign began, that this fixture would carry huge significance.
Either way, it is what it is and when the dust settles late Sunday afternoon, we should have a clearer vision on the direction Gold is taking the club.
So what does Gold make of the crucial clash?
Observer reporter Aaron Wise will be at Sixways following all the action from 3pm.