THE CLOSING stages of last season’s Greene King IPA Championship play-off final will undoubtedly live long in the memory for Worcester Warriors supporters.
But the man who completed Worcester’s remarkable fightback which stunned Bristol insisted the hard work had just begun as they prepare for life in the Aviva Premiership.
Ryan Lamb went down in Warriors history when he landed a last-gasp conversion following Chris Pennell’s dramatic late try to secure a 59-58 aggregate victory.
The 29-year-old branded it as ‘one of the weirdest endings’ to a game he had ever been a part of as Worcester faced a 14-point deficit with ten minutes left before their late heroics.
And he described his promotion-clinching kick as ‘one of the best feelings’ he had ever experienced at the end of a rugby match as his conversion triggered mass celebration at Sixways.
But when asked whether he had watched the enthralling encounter again, Lamb added: “No and I am being genuine. I have not watched any of it.
“I didn’t really have time as I went back, had a few beers and then went on holiday with the missus straight away.”
And Lamb said it was important Worcester’s players did not dwell on their success and instead focused on getting themselves in the best shape possible ahead of their return to the top flight.
“You can have a great feeling for a day and then in six days it can all change, so we have got to move on,” he said.
“We know the challenges we have got this year as it will be a completely different animal.
“I have been away from it for a year now and it is where every player wants to be.
“You want to be at the top of your game as long as you can and the Premiership is the hardest league in Europe.
“Week in week out there are no easy games and that’s what we have got to get our heads around very quickly.
“In the Championship you can rotate your squad a lot more whereas in the Premiership you have got to back it up every week and you are not going to get anything handed to you on a plate.”
However, Lamb, who previously played for Gloucester, Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints, believes Warriors have got the squad to compete in the top flight.
“I think Dean (Ryan) has gone out and he has invested wisely,” he said.
“With Donncha (O’Callaghan) and (Wynand) Olivier arriving, we have got more experienced guys around so young players can look around and see it has become a proper Premiership club now.
“I think we have built a squad now that can compete in the Premiership and I am really excited to get back involved.”