As if the injury situation and psychological scars at Sixways were not big enough, Worcester have spent the week indulging in self-flagellation.

The sole item on Monday morning's agenda was what director of rugby Mike Ruddock described as an 'honesty session'. No one was exempt from the fall out of last weekend's horrendous seven-try battering at home to the Ospreys in the EDF Energy Cup.

As a second-half substitute, long-serving scrum half Matt Powell was less culpable than most, although it was during his time on the pitch that the Welsh outfit turned a decent beating into something much more thorough.

Three tries in four minutes yielded 19 points and a 47-16 scoreline and, in truth, it was no more than the disparity between the hosts and visitors merited. Heads bowed, humiliated on national television, Worcester had nowhere to look but in the mirror.

My, how they've taken to the exercise. With a single inquiry, Powell rips into a post-mortem of last Saturday and, for five minutes, fails to pause for breath. Never have two of Sixways' dark blue seats more resembled a confessional booth; the only thing missing was the phrase 'Forgive me, Father'.

"The Ospreys are an exceptional side, they have got international players and stars throughout their squad but we made them look great," Powell begins. "We fell off far too many tackles and gave them a lot of space.

"We weren't really there. It was uncharacteristic of the way we play. We weren't first to the ball on the floor and we weren't as aggressive as we usually are. All of the players have had to have a real look at themselves this week.

"Our supporters are massively important to us and we let them down. It was an embarrassment that it was on television - one of the worst games we have ever played.

"We lost a huge amount of respect from our supporters and the public but, more importantly, we let ourselves down as individuals and a team. There weren't many guys who came off the field and said they'd given everything."

One gets the impression it's a message that has been well drummed home and well learned. Yet salvation is at hand, especially for Powell who will make his comeback to the starting line-up tomorrow against one of his former clubs.

With the first third of Worcester's EDF Energy Cup campaign consigned to the circular file, the second takes place at the Stoop Memorial Ground, where Worcester take on Dean Richards' Harlequins.

Defeat would end Worcester's hopes of progressing but, having not won all season and having given such a poor account of themselves last time out, they have bigger concerns.

A decent performance would be extremely welcome, while a victory would be accepted with the donor's hand still attached. Particularly after the BBC's summarisers, Andy Nicol and Brian Moore, were so critical as to describe Worcester as 'clueless'.

"Everything they said was probably fair enough but we are not as bad as we played on Saturday," Powell maintains. "Andy Nicol and Brian Moore don't watch us every week and don't know what we are about. What was seen on Saturday was definitely not what Worcester is about.

"There is nothing we can say to them but go out there this Saturday and prove them wrong. We are desperate to put that right.

"It's an EDF game and some people don't view it as that important but, as far as I am concerned, this is the biggest game we have played for a hell of a long time.

"We need to be seen to respond to what happened, we have to turn it around straight away. When you have a game like that, you want the next one to come immediately. After debrief on Monday, we were desperate to play Harlequins on Monday afternoon."

There is personal motivation, too. Although Powell probably won't get to rekindle his rivalry with former Worcester colleague Andy Gomarsall [the England World Cup No 9 is likely to be rested] as well as restoring the collective reputation, he believes he has his own needs some underpinning, too.

Unusually, he has had trouble seeing off the challenge of Ryan Powell for the starting berth, his displays have not been as sharp around the fringes, nor as smooth in distribution. "I haven't played well," he admits. "I was a bit ill at the start of the season, I had a chicken pox-like virus which kicked in after the Bath game.

"I probably wasn't well enough to play, but even the most experienced people think they want to play every week. I let myself down a little bit. I haven't been happy with the way I have been playing. None of us can look at ourselves and say we have been playing well, week in week out - with the exception of Thinus [Delport] who has been our go-to man.

"But I am really excited about this weekend. I really feel I can offer the team something even if it is just huge enthusiasm - we are desperate to get a win." And desperate to replace self-flagellation with pats on the back.