DIRECTOR of rugby Dean Ryan insists Worcester Warriors are just one victory away from turning their sorry season around.
Warriors currently find themselves eight points adrift at the foot of the Aviva Premiership table after six defeats on the bounce.
The situation has left many Worcester fans fearing the worst, but Ryan said any talk of relegation was “premature” as he prepares his side to face Bath tomorrow (Friday, 7.45pm).
And the Warriors boss believes a win over their high-flying opponents in front of a bumper crowd at Sixways could be the catalyst his side need to start climbing the league table.
“I do not accept that we are in a relegation battle. There are 16 games left and we are eight point behind everyone else, so I think it is premature to say that,” Ryan said.
“It is my job to ensure this group keeps working hard and protect them from getting sucked into those types of conversations. I don’t think it is productive for the team and I don’t think it is something we should be talking about at this early stage.
“We are not where we would like to be, but one win could change that.
“Any time would be a great time to put one on the slate and if we do it against Bath it would be a big win for us.”
Ryan said he was still not settled on his strongest starting 15, which is set to include Leonardo Senatore, who will be making his first appearance since he was banned for biting an opponent in the Rugby Championship, on Friday.
Fellow Argentinian internationals Agustin Creevy and Mariano Galarza are also likely to start, while Ryan revealed centre Ravai Fatiaki was back in contentions after recovering from an ankle injury.
Tickets have been reduced for Friday’s clash against the Somerset side, who are third in the table, in a bid to entice more fans to Sixways and Ryan said his confidence-hit team need all the support they can get.
He added: “We will put everything into making Sixways a tough place to visit. We need every supporter to get behind us and the players need to understand how important it is to represent this club.
“That combination will lead to performances and I’m sure fans and players will all want to share in that.”