WORCESTER Warriors resume their European excursions with back to back clashes with Pau in the Challenge Cup this weekend knowing two victories will almost certainly see them through to the knockout phase of the competition.
The Sixways side make the trip to the northern edge of the Pyrenees on Friday night (8pm) before welcoming their French opponents to Worcester next Saturday (3pm), looking to put themselves in the driving seat for qualification from pool two.
A return to winning ways would see Warriors in control of the group with just a January trip to South Wales to face Ospreys and a Sixways enounter with Stade Francais standing between Alan Solomons’ side and a place in the latter stages of the competition in the spring.
Warriors were beaten 36-16 by a powerful and well-organised Gloucester side in a disappointing Gallagher Premiership derby at Kingsholm on Saturday.
Warriors conceded two tries in the first quarter and, although they battled back bravely to trail by just a point by half-time, it was one-way traffic for most of the second half as Gloucester ran in four tries.
Warriors had a try from Bryce Heem and 11 points from the boot of Duncan Weir, who made it 19 consecutive successful kicks and maintained his 100 per cent record of 12 penalties from 12 this season.
Heem’s try was his 21st in the Premiership and made him Warriors’ all-time top try-scorer in the competition – one more than team-mate Josh Adams and former club favourite Miles Benjamin.
Warriors’ Premiership Rugby Cup clash against Wasps at Sixways will be screened live on BT Sport.
Warriors go into the match well placed to push for a semi-final place as they currently top Pool Two having beaten Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers and picked up a try bonus point at Saracens.
The Wasps match will now be played at Sixways on Sunday, February 3 (3pm).