Tuesday 26 May 2015 18:49, UK
Dewi Morris is expecting Wednesday's second leg of the Championship play-off to match the standard of the Premiership.
What a game that first leg ended up being. It didn't pan out as I thought; I predicted it was going to be cagey and suffocating from both teams but credit to the players and coaches because both sets of squads went out and played positive rugby.
It was the type of rugby that we’re used to seeing from Bath and hopefully we can expect more of the same on Wednesday. It was five tries to three in favour of Worcester in the first leg, though there were three missed conversions that may yet haunt Dean Ryan's men.
I may have predicted the wrong game plans but I said it would be great theatre and they definitely didn’t prove me wrong in that aspect. If each half of rugby is an act then acts one and two have set us up superbly for the final two acts.
A win means the Premiership, bigger crowds, a potential future in Europe and the chance to dream up big things. A loss would mean putting that all off for another year at least.
The players were all outstanding but I thought in particular the half-backs were brilliant in the way they ran the game. Ryan Lamb and Mathew Morgan showed what real talents they are and we able assisted by the scrum-halves to ensure the tempo stayed up.
It was one of the best games of rugby in a long time and definitely one of the best Championship games there have has ever been. I’d say it was on a par with anything we've seen in the Premiership thus far and I see the second game going the same way.
Both sides seemed to work out the other in the set piece at differing moments in the match, but it was individual brilliance that enabled them to get points on the board. It was an arm-wrestle, but a high tempo one.
I suppose you'd have to say it's advantage to Worcester going into the second leg. Dean Ryan has been talking about the 16th man and the crowd will definitely have a part to play.
Worcester are looking to bounce immediately back up to the Premiership in their first season while Bristol have been out of it for six seasons now. Will that mean that Bristol are more desparate, or Worcester have more experience on the bigger stage? It's going to take a big game to find out.
Worcester have named an unchanged team which is a reflection of Dean Ryan's satisfaction with the first run out. I thought Sam Betty was very effective on the side of the scrum last week in Bristol, running into every collision with unrivalled energy, with or without the ball.
Bristol on the other hand have made a tide of changes which could be interesting. Two of them have been forced on them, with Ben Mosses coming into the side for Gavin Henson who suffered a horrible shin injury in the first play-off match.
Mosses was the midfield man for Bristol before Henson arrived at the club so I’m excited to see what he does with this opportunity in the starting jersey – I’m a big fan of his and don’t think that Bristol have been weakened by his selection at all.
From a neutral perspective we are hoping that we get to see the same type of rugby in the second leg, but understandably this is an enormous encounter for two proud rugby clubs in England.
A win means the Premiership, bigger crowds, a potential future in Europe and the chance to dream up big things. A loss would mean putting that all off for another year at least.
It’s a tough one to call but I’m going to back Worcester to edge it, just. I’ve been backing Bristol all the way but that try in the dying seconds of the first match along with the Worcester crowd could be enough for Dean Ryan to push his side over the line.
There are no tickets left for the game which is great to see. It's two sets of incredibly passionate fans and the atmosphere will be heard throughout most of England - I'll be getting there early to make sure I get a seat in the commentary box!
