Mike Ruddock knows victory over beleaguered Leeds Carnegie this weekend will not only virtually guarantee Worcester's Guinness Premiership future.
It will provide him with the opportunity to blood the crop of youngsters who have begun to come through the club's academy system.
Wins against championship-chasing Sale and Leicester have given the Sixways outfit a 14-point buffer over the bottom side and although Leeds have seven games left as opposed to Worcester's six, their showdown this Sunday is likely to prove decisive.
If Worcester can inflict defeat on their relegation rivals, Leeds will need to win all but one of their remaining games to have a hope of avoiding an immediate return to National One.
That would give the Warriors director of rugby the chance to give some of the new generation experience of competitive league rugby and will also inform him which areas he needs to strengthen in the summer.
The obvious vacancy is at fly half where Shane Drahm, rejuvenated over the last week, is playing his final few games for the club, having agreed to move to Japan.
Loki Crichton and James Brown have tried and failed to lay claim to the playmaking role and that has convinced Ruddock he has to try something different. "Shane played very, very well against Leicester," Ruddock said.
"He made some great breaks but the most pleasing thing was that after he had his kick charged down, he did not let it affect him. He kept his head impressively and came back and played some great rugby.
"He is a quality player but you have to face the fact that he has made the choice to take himself off to Japan, which is the right thing for him and his family. Our goal now is to find someone to slot in and play the sort of rugby that Shane has started playing.
"It is a great opportunity. We are not playing rugby by numbers; of course, we have systems in place that we want someone to observe, but we are also trying to play what we see. The best teams play their rugby when the game is broken up and according to what they see on the field, not just by going through set plays."
Ruddock has an open mind as to whether that means recruiting a high profile performer or entrusting the crucial role to the home-grown but relatively inexperienced Joey Carlisle, whose defence comes nowhere near to matching his creative instincts. "There is every chance we might look to bring in experience but we have got some good youngsters who could make the step up," he said.
"Joey Carlisle is one of the most naturally gifted tens I have seen in a long time. I have big faith in him and I am hoping that if he gets a chance to do what Miles Benjamin has done and get an extended run in the side, he takes it.
"If we get a result, it could an opportunity for younger players, particularly if we progress against Montpellier [in the European Challenge Cup on April 5]. That will give us a lot of big games between now and the end of the season and we will have to utilise our squad."
The demands on Worcester's playing strength could become even greater if London Wasps beat Leicester Tigers in the EDF Energy Cup semi-final later this month.
That would put them in the final on April 12, the day before they are due to face Warriors at Adams Park and Ruddock fears that could mean his side having to meet the European champions in midweek.
* Sale's Brent Cockbain has been banned for five weeks for stamping after being cited following the game against Worcester at Edgeley Park last month.
