Director of Rugby Dean Ryan insists his Warriors side learnt a valuable lesson despite slipping to a 43-35 defeat to the world-famous Barbarians at Sixways.
Warriors came to within five points late on after crossing for their fifth try of the afternoon before a late Mike Harris penalty gave the visiting side victory.
But Ryan admits it was a good test for his side with a number of positives.
He said: “We knew today would be a serious test. The key idea was to get people new to the Club out there and the danger of that was that we were not quite understanding.
“We played into their hands a little bit but it started to get a little more natural order and I’m pleased with some aspects.”
Tom Heathcote kicked all five of his conversions and enjoyed a fine debut linking up with scrum-half debutant Luke Baldwin.
And Ryan explained: “Tom was outstanding. I liked the combination of him and Luke. They worked well.
“Tom’s goal-kicking was also spot on and that’s why he’s here – to compete for the number ten jersey with Ryan Lamb and I’m sure he will respond to that.”
The Warriors boss also paid tribute to skipper Phil Dowson.
“Phil led the side well and was great. You can see the difference with him out there. That combination of experience and ability we have to get right.
“He understands the game and the more people that understand the game and are sharper around it – that’s a great benefit to us.”
Ryan, who coached the Barbarians to victory over England in 2014, admitted his side were up against a different class.
He continued: “We needed to see what some of the best in the world looked like up close rather than on the TV.
“They showed moments of class but today was a good exercise. We were well beaten in the set-piece but that’s why the likes of Carl Hayman, Ali Williams and Benn Robinson have been at the top of the game for so long.”
With Wasps up next on Saturday 26 September at Sixways, Ryan revealed he would be handing more opportunities to other players in the squad.
He added: “We’re still six or seven weeks out from the season so we’re not disappointed with where we’re at.
“The key today was whether we could get some framework and some lessons and we’ve got plenty to work on.
“We’ll look at things a bit differently for Wasps. They are a different test and we’ll look at what we think is closer to working in the Premiership.”