EXPLOSIVE winger Bryce Heem insisted there was ‘no way’ Bristol should have beat Warriors in December and is adamant there will be no repeat of a ‘big shock’ when the two sides lock horns at Sixways on Sunday.
The New Zealander, who has scored four tries in five games since his return from a knee injury, is confident his side will get the job done and give the club breathing space entering the business end of the campaign.
The 28-year-old is also chomping at the bit to ‘get one back’ against the West Country outfit, having missed the 28-20 Boxing Day defeat.
“For me it was a big shock to lose that Boxing Day match to Bristol, especially as they had to play about 70 minutes with 14 men,” said the former Super Rugby player.
“There’s no way we should’ve lost that game, but we have to put that behind us and focus on Sunday. I hate losing at home, so it’ll be awesome to have the chance to get one back against Bristol at Sixways. We know if we keep doing what we’re doing we’ll beat them.
“We’re heading in the right direction and a win would give us a bit of breathing space, but no matter what happens on Sunday, we won’t take out foot off the gas. We need to keep building to get better as a club and squad,” he added.
The prolific Kiwi has been impressed with fellow wingers Dean Hammond and Josh Adams, who have scored 18 tries between them this season.
“I’m a strong believer in a competitive environment, so it’s been awesome to see Hammond and Adams step up and help the side. They’ve taken their opportunities and have been scoring tries for fun,” said Heem.
“If I can chase them down with a few tries of my own and help the team to safety then it’s been a good season. I just want to lead by example and lift the guys where I can.
“It’s always good to get across the whitewash, but it all comes down to the team’s performance. A loss always hurts no matter how well you played.
“For me, it’s about looking at the positives and if you look at the five points we’ve picked up in the Premiership since Gary Gold’s arrival, they’ve kept us just in front of Bristol going into Sunday’s game,” he added.