VERSATILITY can be both a blessing and a curse for professional rugby players but Worcester Warriors’ Ryan Mills insists he is thriving on the chance to start every week wherever he lines up.

The centre joined from Gloucester last summer after injuries and fierce competition for places hampered his progress at Kingsholm.

Yet it is at fly-half where Mills has been a revelation this season, being nominated for February’s Greene King IPA Championship player-of-the-month award.

Regardless of how the season ends, the 22-year-old is confident his game has improved under the guidance of director of rugby Dean Ryan.

Mills said: “I’ve started at fly-half a lot recently and felt pretty comfortable there but I’m still happy either at 10 or 12 because I just like being out on the pitch.

“Everyone is different but, for me, coming to the Championship was the best move as I was only playing a handful of games at Gloucester each year when the internationals were on.

“No matter how well I played I could never keep my place in the side when everyone came back so moving to Worcester was the best option. Dean has been a big influence here – he’s a big character and I respond well to that kind of leadership.”

Mills could not prevent Worcester falling to only their second defeat of the season with a 23-21 loss at Jersey last weekend.

“It was a great game but we weren’t at our best and struggled with conditions but fair play to Jersey because they played very well,” he said.

“We’ve got a big few weeks before facing Bristol in the last game of the season, which will hopefully give us a chance to reclaim the top spot.

“Today’s match against London Scottish will be a massive game for us because they are one of the most competitive sides in the league and hard to play against.

“They will be a big challenge but it will be good for us to put a marker down for the rest of the season.”

Formed in 2009, the Greene King IPA Championship is the second tier of professional rugby union in England.

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