WARRIORS chief Alan Solomons has challenged his players to rise to the occasion when they travel to south Wales in search of a second European Challenge Cup win in a week over the Dragons.
The Sixways side make the trip to Rodney Parade on Friday night (kick-off 8pm) buoyed by the gritty 34-28 victory on Saturday which propelled them to second in the group, just a point behind the Dragons.
Despite the triumph, Solomons highlighted the challenge which lies in wait in Warriors’ last European clash before the competition takes a festive three-week break.
“Dragons are always a tough outfit wherever they play and are particularly tough at Rodney Parade. They are very gritty and they some good players so it will be a tough fixture,” he said.
Warriors claimed a second bonus point win in three European Challenge Cup matches, thanks to second half tries from Ollie Lawrence, debutant Noah Heward and Jono Kitto in a tense affair last weekend.
Dragons had to play three-quarters of the match without their influential number eight Taine Basham who was sent off for a tip tackle on Gareth Simpson but the Welsh side proved very difficult to break down.
While Dragons had nine Wales internationals in their squad – seven of them in the starting XV – Warriors made 14 changes to the side that had beaten Sale Sharks and the sole survivor, Chris Pennell, lasted barely 15 minutes before he took a blow to the head.
With an inexperienced side and players playing out of position, Warriors did well to secure the win although they were never really at their fluent best. It was Heward’s try, when he ghosted through from halfway 14 minutes from time which finally broke Dragons’ resistance.
Off the pitch, utility back Gareth Simpson has become the latest Warrior to put pen to paper at Sixways with a two-year contract, his first professional deal, with Warriors.
Simpson, 22, arrived at Sixways on trial 12 months ago having paid his own way to England from his native South Africa and impressed playing for Cavaliers in the Premiership Rugby Shield and for Stourbridge in National Two North in the second half of last season.
He was taken onto the Three Pears Warriors Academy during the summer and has made four senior appearances off the bench this season, the latest in the win over the Dragons at Sixways.
Simpson scored his maiden try in the victory over Enisei-STM in Russia on his European debut last month.
“It’s a year and two weeks since I came over. It’s been pretty awesome to be involved in such a big organisation and live out a dream I have had since I was a kid,” Simpson said.