Warriors 'can't let emotion hold them back' - Everard

Matt Everard coached at Leicester and Wasps before becoming Worcester head coach in May

"There were people in tears retelling what it meant to them to see the club go under and what it means to see them come back. It was so powerful. It was like, 'wowzers'."

Matt Everard was never in any doubt about the significance of what he and his staff and players were building towards, but the pre-season fans' forums provided concrete confirmation.

"It's a rugby city and those interactions were more powerful for us coaches and players than the fans I think - it was unbelievable," he said.

"It's definitely something I'll never forget and I don't think the group will either."

Now, after 1,091 days, that emotion can be fully expressed as Worcester Warriors come full circle and run out at their Sixways Stadium to play rugby again almost three years after the former Premiership club went out of business.

Although issues from their financial collapse linger, for now the focus is firmly on the pitch.

Premiership champions - and last season's treble winners - Bath are fittingly high-octane opponents for Friday's friendly.

Sixways will be packed to the rooftops. There will be a guard of honour. It will be emotional.

For Everard, handling that emotion will form the blueprint of how he wants his team to approach the occasion.

"You have to speak about it. There'll be a lot of emotion and rightly so - what it means to the players, the club, staff and the fans. " the head coach told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"How do we use and control that? We want to use it as an advantage and not let it hold us back."

Bath, who added the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup to their league title last season, will have 12 internationals in the starting XV - including former Warriors Ted Hill and Ollie Lawrence.

Warriors comfortably beat fellow second-tier side Ampthill 54-12 in their first pre-season game last Saturday but Everard knows Bath will be the ultimate test.

"They are littered with stardust and brilliantly coached," he said.

"They're great to watch and it'll be a different challenge and an opportunity for our group to see where we're at.

"We want to be a team that's hard to beat, so that almost takes the result out of the equation. We want to be awkward to play against, physical and abrasive and to punish teams.

"The Bath game is a great opportunity for the whole city to get to Sixways again and benchmark themselves against the best."

A 'full-circle moment' for Lawrence

Ollie Lawrence (left) began his career with Worcester and helped them win the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2022, four months before the club's demise

It is not just the Worcester coaches and fans that will feel the significance of Friday's game.

England centre Lawrence, who started his career at Warriors, was directly affected by the club's financial meltdown and expulsion from the Premiership in September 2022 after having his contract cancelled.

While the club plunged into administration and uncertainty, Lawrence had to leave and signed for Bath a month later.

Sad as he was at the demise of Worcester, Lawrence said he had to find a way to keep playing.

"The cards you're dealt with in life, sometimes you've got to play," he told BBC Points West.

"Obviously it was never ideal circumstances. I had to chance my perspective and crack on with life. I couldn't just sit there and wait for Worcester to come back one day."

He said Friday's match will be "pretty special" and added he was "just excited for the club" to see it back.

"It's been a long time that they haven't had any rugby played there, so I'm just really happy for the city more than anything," Lawrence said.

"Motivation that could happen definitely spurred me on over the years and I've been grateful I've been able to start my career there.

"It'll be a full circle moment and it's really good to see them back playing.

"Hopefully they can go on and do something special there and create a culture and environment for them to do well in the Championship this season."

Warriors begin their Champ campaign on 4 October with a local derby against Coventry at Sixways.

For now, Everard wants his players to embrace the moment on Friday and enjoy it.

"It's about effort. If we can show an abundance of effort, togetherness and fight, we'll be really proud," he added.

"I'd love to see the players enjoy it and express the best version of themselves. You can't not enjoy occasions like this."

Whatever the result at Sixways, Warriors will feel like winners.