Worcester Warriors can now look forward

With three games left in the Aviva Premiership regular season, this season’s promoted side, Worcester Warriors, have secured their future in the competition.

The task for Worcester and Dean Ryan now that they have consolidated their place in the division is to begin to build for the 2016/17 season, something which they can fully focus on over the last three games of the campaign.

The club made shrewd signings this season. Bryce Heem is surely in contention for one of the additions of the season amongst Premiership clubs, whilst the mid-season arrival of Francois Hougaard certainly correlated with the upturn in fortunes that has seen them escape the drop and ensure Premiership survival.

Further quality signings have been made for the 2016/17 in the forms of Ben Te’o and Jackson Willison but attention also needs to be given to the players coming through the Worcester academy, which contributed more players to the England U20 squad this season than any other Premiership side. With the remaining three games unable to see Worcester push on into a Champions Cup qualifying spot or fall to the drop zone, they become excellent opportunities to blood some of the club’s young players.

Full-back Ben Howard has struggled for appearances outside of European competition due to the ever-impressive and durable Chris Pennell and a spot at 15 or on the wing over the next few weeks could be invaluable to his development moving forward.

Versatile lock/back rower Huw Taylor has done an excellent job captaining the Worcester Cavaliers side, as well as being one of the few England U20s to come out of the U20 Six Nations with a boosted profile, and has the potential to be a very good player at senior level. Playing alongside the likes of Phil Dowson and Dewald Potgieter could help move him into contention as a starter in the 2016/17 season.

Likewise, fly-half Jamie Shillcock, hooker Jack Singleton and prop Derrick Appiah would all benefit from moving up to the senior team bench over the coming weeks and getting their first tastes of Premiership rugby. The Worcester academy has been productive over recent years and opportunities to give these younger players experience do not come around each week, making this end to the season a gift for Ryan and the rest of the Worcester coaching team.

Saracens have had great success building a young English core to their side around a veteran South African presence and Worcester now have the same opportunity. With Potgieter, Hougaard, Nick Schonert and Wynand Olivier all well-entrenched in the Warriors’ starting XV, Worcester now need to identify the young English players who they can build around moving forward.

The remaining games on Worcester’s season schedule are far from easy, with the side facing Wasps (H), Leicester Tigers (A) and Saracens (H). With both Wasps and Leicester jockeying for playoff positions, they will be tough games, but games offering the intensity with which Worcester’s next generation will need to experience to improve and develop. The final game of the season against Saracens may be a dead rubber for the Londoners, who may have secured top spot in the league and also have European competition to worry about.

Worcester players, coaches and fans should be celebrating their survival, but their preparations for next season begin right now and Ryan and co can’t afford to miss this opportunity.