DIRECTOR of rugby Dean Ryan admits the next 10 back-to-back Aviva Premiership games are “daunting” for Worcester Warriors and will define the club.

Warriors are 10th in the table with two league wins and start their crucial period of matches against second-placed Exeter Chiefs at Sixways on Sunday (3pm).

Worcester have lost their last 10 first-team matches since beating La Rochelle in the European Challenge Cup in November.

Chiefs have won all six previous Premiership matches against Warriors.

Worcester’s most recent victory over Chiefs was in March, 2004, in National League One.

Ryan said: “The next 10 games are crucial and will define the season, where we are as a group and the success of the individuals and the club as a whole.

“We are excited and a little bit daunted by the 10 weeks.

“Having to play with so much physical intensity week in, week out is a new concept for us and it will be a huge test for our group but we’re genuinely excited by it.

“Having to break the team up to play the European weekends has broken some of our continuity. When we’ve had good performances, we’ve played two or three league matches together.

“But we have the majority of our squad fit and now we have to give it a crack and see where we are.”

Skipper Gerrit-Jan van Velze and fly-half Tom Heathcote are both fit for Sunday’s fixture and prop James Johnston could be in line for his Worcester debut.

But Dan George suffered a calf injury in Warriors’ 35-11 defeat against La Rochelle and his replacement Ben Sowrey struggled with his line-out throws.

“Dan has got a calf pull, which is hugely frustrating after returning from a knee injury,” said Ryan.

“He was playing very well for 20 minutes. It’s a huge dent losing him and frustrating for him and for us.”

Ryan admitted Sowrey’s off-night had been a worry.

“It’s a concern for us and Ben,” said Ryan. “You can see how that undermines the rest of the team.

“We were pretty competitive for 40 to 50 minutes (against La Rochelle) but were on quicksand.

“If you don’t have a set-piece, you are operating on quicksand and it will eventually swallow you up.”