WARRIORS’ director of rugby Dean Ryan admitted his side needed a week off after the poor performance against Wasps as his players were both mentally and physically fatigued.
And Ryan, pictured, said his side, who have shipped 104 points in their last two outings, needed to dust themselves down and give 100 per cent for Saturday’s trip to Leicester Tigers (3pm).
Warriors then host title-chasing Saracens in their final game on May 7.
“We’ve spoken a lot about how we want our season to finish,” Ryan said.
“Although we’ve now got the freedom of having no pressure, we’ve lost the intensity that underpins it. If we can get that combination right we can become a dangerous side.
“Because of the performance against Wasps, I would’ve preferred to have played last weekend as we were upset we couldn’t get it right on the pitch last time out, but we needed this break.
“We have a small squad and being right at the end of the campaign we’re suffering with fatigue both emotionally and physically.
“We’re a team that needs to be close to operating at 100 per cent all the time, otherwise we’re very short of ability in other areas.
“Being a Premiership rugby player you have to dust yourself off and go again, so we’ve used this week to refresh and we now have the opportunity to avoid a similar performance to that of Wasps and Exeter.”
Warriors narrowly lost to Leicester at Sixways in December and were put to the sword against Saracens at Twickenham in November.
“Leicester and Saracens are two teams towards the top of the Premiership and are also top European sides,” said Ryan.
“We’ve seen enough of them to know they’re not teams with glaring holes in them and don’t show any massive weaknesses, so I think the focus will be very much about us getting our game right.”