WORCESTER Warriors’ head coach Jonathan Thomas is wary of the threat posed to his side this weekend as they head to the Ricoh Arena to face Wasps in Round 19 of the Gallagher Premiership this afternoon (3pm kick-off).

Free-scoring Wasps scored 46 points in the defeat to Harlequins last weekend and despite defeat, showed that they have the ability to cause problems from anywhere on the pitch.

Thomas insists it is important that his side stick to the game plan and do not play into their hands.

“Wasps are a team with good athletes, very strong from broken play,” he said.

“They like the game to be loose. The game last weekend was a phenomenal scoreline. I have watched it since and what it shows from Wasps is that they have the ability to score a lot of tries and they have the players to do that.

“But what it also shows is that they concede tries, so the big thing for us is that we maintain structure. We have players who are good from broken play ourselves but it’s important that you make the game structured, because playing loose plays into their hands.”

Warriors will have licked their wounds from the second-half at Exeter last weekend, in which they conceded 33 points in the 41-10 defeat.

Worcester had led at half-time 10-8 but in difficult conditions, they were comprehensively dispatched in the second period and remain without a win since the opening day and are 14 points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership table.

Thomas insists the aim is to move off the foot of the league standings but with only four games to go, they will need at least a few wins and hope those around them don’t win.

But the Warriors’ head coach reiterated the importance of focussing on themselves.

“If other teams win around you when you’re at the foot of the table, it’s out of your hands,” he added.

“This season has been all about growth but it’s been tough.

“The table doesn’t lie, we haven’t been good enough in many aspects but there’s a big rebuild job, we have taken a bit of pain but we are clear on where we’re going.

“We want to win games, 100% and that remains our aim in these last four games.”

Looking at the team news for the clash, there are three changes to the side that lost in Devon last Saturday, with Billy Searle, Harri Doel and Richard Paframan all in for Fin Smith, Alex Hearle and Nick Schonert respectively.

Ollie Lawrence returns to the squad after injury and Scott Andrews could make his Warriors debut off the bench, having signed on loan from Cardiff.