HEAD coach Carl Hogg admits Worcester Warriors’ are likely to field a “Premiership-looking team” to face Exeter Chiefs at Sixways in the Anglo-Welsh Cup on Saturday (3pm).
The competition has often been used by Warriors as a platform to give youngsters and fringe players the chance to shine.
But after crashing out of the European Challenge Cup following a 33-7 defeat at Brive last Saturday, Hogg said he was keen to get their campaign “back on track”.
Since beating relegation rivals London Irish in the Aviva Premiership just before Christmas, Worcester have lost three and drawn one.
“It’s a different competition,” Hogg said.
“We will look to load that side towards a Premiership-looking team so when we’re back on our track we can play some rugby.”
Tom Howe scored Warriors’ only try against Brive as they struggled to nullify their power-packed opponents at a rain-soaked Stade Alexandre Cueille.
“This weekend was difficult as it never really got to a two or three-pass game,” Hogg said.
“It was very much about set-piece rugby and holding high field position and sometimes conditions dictate that.
“That’s a lesson for us to learn but hopefully we can get the game at a tempo next week against Exeter.”
Hogg also explained the process behind Warriors’ selection across the competitions.
“It’s about managing players across a nine-month period,” he added.
“Yes, we’d like to go strong in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and European Challenge Cup but the Aviva Premiership is paramount for us.
“Therefore, our selection is about making sure people in the squad get opportunities but also that we protect some of the players that are playing in the Premiership.
“We did take the Challenge Cup seriously, we got ourselves into the last round to give ourselves an opportunity to go through.
“But in hindsight if we’d have got five points against Connacht at home then we’d have got through so that was a missed opportunity.”
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