Chief excited by Brive challenge

Mike Ruddock believes Worcester Warriors can use home advantage to progress to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup when they face Brive in April.

Warriors produced a sensational ten try victory over Petrarca Rugby on Saturday to leapfrog the French side in the Euro standings and claim fourth spot in the seedings.

Worcester will now entertain Brive in the last eight in April and Director of Rugby Ruddock claims in will be a cup cracker.

“The home quarter-final is a big prize for us and it is fantastic for the players,” he said.

“It saves having to go somewhere like Brive where they have a number of excellent players, guys like Popham, Goode and Cohen.

“To go out to France and face them would have been a lot more difficult then here at Sixways Stadium.

“It will still be incredibly tough but it is what we wanted. From a business perspective it is good for us and we can sell the commercial side in the knock out stages.

“Once you get to a knock out stage of a competition, sides are reasonably well matched.

“We have got to improve defensively from against Petrarca but if keep on improving we have got a chance.”

QUARTER-FINALS

The European Challenge Cup quarter-finals, to be played on the weekend of 10 / 11 / 12 April, 2009, are:

London Irish (1) v Bourgoin (8)
Northampton Saints (2) v Connacht Rugby (7)
Saracens (3) v Newcastle Falcons (6)
Worcester Warriors (4) v Brive (5)


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