MAKING a better fist of restarts is a facet Worcester Warriors will be working on to improve for next season.

The Sixways outfit were guilty of sloppy handling at opposition restarts in this term’s Aviva Premiership campaign and conceded tries as a result.

The problem persisted throughout the campaign with Warriors making try-costing mistakes when receiving re-starts at Exeter Chiefs, Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers.

Saracens put the squeeze on Warriors during their final-day 43-19 victory at Sixways just seven days before the London club lifted the European Champions Cup in Lyon.

Warriors director of rugby Dean Ryan says restarts are a “pretty important” element of the game and now viewed as a “third set-piece”.

“If you miss the ball you create a huge amount of pressure for yourself," he said.

“We missed one at Welford Road (Leicester Tigers), quite an easy one, which they scored a try from.

“We do a lot of work on them but ultimately it’s linked to pressure and skill - the same as anything else.”

The majority of Worcester’s squad report back for pre-season training on Monday, June 6 as they look to build on last term’s 10th-placed finish.

Ryan added: “Restarts don’t just finish when you catch the ball.

"It’s an area we have spent a lot more time looking at than in the past and it is an area we’d hope to see an improvement.”