Hill ready for a fight at Worcester

The talk is over - let the bruising begin. Bristol Rugby’s big guns have been unleashed in full contact training this week to prepare them for their contest at Worcester.

The Guinness Premiership’s bottom club return to league action with another key match up at Sixways, a match up head coach Richard Hill believes will be won by the more physical side.

The Bristol boss has drawn criticism for wrapping his first-team in cotton wool and withdrawing them from the front line for the club’s European Challenge Cup distraction - resulting in a record European defeat at Northampton.

But come the return of Premiership action he has been pushing his troops in a bid to regain the intensity required to win matches.

“Sometimes you've got to sacrifice a few bumps and bruises and maybe the odd injury to get that level of physicality,” said Hill. “That's why this week several of the sessions have been full on contact. I can sense that the players are ready for that on the weekend.

"We take a bit of criticism sometimes but you've got to remember its a nine month season and it's a marathon not a sprint.

"So far we've managed in the last three or four years in the Premiership to give our senior players a week off here or there so that when we come into February March and April, when the season will be won or lost for us, our players are mentally and physically fresh.”

Despite the precautions, club captain Joe El Abd has already been lost to injury and the team’s freshness will be tested to the full on Saturday against a side who could join the relegation fight if they fail to capitalise on home matches against first Bristol then Newcastle.

And Hill is hoping to capitalise on the pressure building at Sixways by firing on all cylinders from the off.

He said: "What we've got to do this weekend is take both second half performances against London Irish in the Premiership and Northampton in the European Challenge Cup and we've got to start well against Worcester. We cannot afford to start slowly.

Bristol failed to get out of the blocks against London Irish and Gloucester and were punished accordingly.

"If you start slowly there with the atmosphere they can generate and the intensity they've got in their players we can be well behind at half-time again,” he added.

Wing Lee Robinson returned to form in the 25-21 defeat at home to Northampton last weekend which almost saw the club snatch victory after trailing 20-9 at half-time and made no bones about how the club are viewing their trip to Worcester.

“We need to look at it as man versus man,” he said.