VERSATILE centre Jackson Willison is confident the international players amongst Warriors’ squad are capable of galvanising the club as they enter their next block of Aviva Premiership games.
The New Zealander, who has featured in 12 of Warriors’ 13 Premiership matches in his debut season, admitted training alongside England international Ben Te’o and South African Francois Hougaard inspires him and the team to work harder in training.
Worcester hover one point above basement side Bristol in the Premiership standings, but Willison believes the four-week cup break has stood them in good stead in preparation for their remaining nine Premiership matches.
“The only way we’re going to get through is by coming together as a group. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and we’re training hard to galvanise the club,” said the former Super Rugby player.
“I’m confident in the guys and I know we can get a few wins under our belt. It’s been a hard time for us recently, but having a quality international player like Ben Te’o alongside you picks you up. I strive to play international rugby, so watching him prepare and train gives a lift to myself and the team.
“We’re all looking forward to the return of Francois Hougaard too. His international experience also brings a lot of excitement to the guys.
“This month off from Premiership rugby has been a good break to get our players and game plan ready for the Saracens match. We’ve tested ourselves against other teams in preparation and the intensity of our training sessions has got higher,” he added.
The Kiwi is determined to help the team produce highlights the fans can be proud of in their last nine Premiership games.
“I had high expectations of the Premiership and have been very impressed. The quality of the teams has been a real highlight so far. The way we played against Harlequins on New Year’s Day stands out. They had their backs to the wall.
“I want to create more highlights like that before the season ends though, that’s the plan going forward.”