COOL head GJ van Velze hopes to push the reset button on his Warriors campaign after admitting: “I haven’t played well”.

The giant back row, who racked up his 100th Worcester appearance against Wasps on Saturday, delivered a frank assessment of his season so far before vowing to stay calm in the face of an uncomfortable spell.

That half an hour against Wasps was van Velze’s eighth Premiership outing from the bench this term, playing the full 80 minutes in the other match at Harlequins.

He acknowledges he has not grasped the nettle to nail down a starting spot but insists there is only one route back to his best.

“There are certain aspects of my game that have not been as good as they have been in the past,” said van Velze.

“That’s going to happen in your career, there will be times when you’re on top and times when you’re not and I am clearly at a stage when I am not on top of my game.

“Sadly, the only way you correct that is to play more and more rugby and all any rugby player wants is an equal opportunity to play well.

“I have had opportunities where I haven’t played well so it is a matter of time where I have to go and assess where I am and what I can bring to my game.

“It is almost similar to players who have long-term injuries, they come back really refreshed so I just have to find that point of difference within the game, the 80 minutes we play.

“I am extremely happy with where I am and how the club is going, this was never going to be the GJ show, it is always a collective effort and about a core group of people who are driving things at the club.

“As long as the club is doing well and we are moving in a direction we are comfortable with then I am happy.”

Asked how he handles the tough times, van Velze added: “All players, all people deal with pressure differently.

“I have always been a very calm person internally, it probably doesn’t always look like that out on the pitch but it is life – it is not always going to be fair or go your way.

“It is about the coping mechanisms when things don’t go your way and the way you react is probably a true reflection of your personality when you’re up against things.

“I am quite calm about these things, I know they will happen for a reason. I might not agree with those reasons now but there is a bigger hand that decides these things.

“I just have to believe in what I do, believe in my talent and that’s what I am quite confident with. It is one of those struggles you just have to get over.”