We can handle the heat – Sanderson

Skipper Pat Sanderson insists Warriors are ready to handle the pressure as the countdown continues until the Saracens showdown.

The Sixways side know victory on the final day against Saracens will almost certainly guarantee top-flight survival.
Warriors will face a fired-up Saracens side eager to finish in the top four of the Guinness Premiership in front of a sell-out crowd.
But Sanderson believes the home side will excel in the heat of battle and a do-or-die atmosphere.
“It is obviously a high-pressure situation and one we would rather not be in, but is a pressure we have played with for some time now,” he said.
“Occasions like this are what you remember for the rest of your life. It is as big a game of rugby as we will ever play.
“We are all fully aware of what is at stake for us as players, the club and the supporters.”
Meanwhile, Drew Hickey believes the impact of Phil Larder at Sixways this season will help Warriors shutout an attacking Saracens side.
“There are very few people who come along and inspire a team to do things they maybe think they can’t and we are lucky that Phil is one of those guys,” he said.
“He can create an environment where even if the odds are stacked against you, if you work hard, stick together and of all things are enthusiastic, then potentially you can do as well as any other team.
“You can stifle teams which we will have to do to Saracens. Sometimes they will play a ball that is very hard to defend but if you get up in their faces and pressure them, that’s when the margin of error becomes a lot greater.
“Phil is the kind of guy you want to sit there and listen to. He is the kind of guy who doesn’t say a lot but what he does say is concise and straight to the point and you think ‘Yeah, I want to go out and play for this guy’.”

 


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