SKIPPER Dewald Potgieter believes Worcester Warriors can “attack” their Aviva Premiership M5 derby with Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday (3pm).

The South African flanker admits it will be a “big ask” for Warriors to pick up their first away win of the campaign.

However, the 29-year-old insists second-from-bottom Warriors can give their all in the final Premiership fixture before a month’s break in the competition.

Confidence has risen in Warriors’ camp this week after their richly-deserved 24-17 triumph against star-studded Harlequins last Sunday.

“I was thinking about the 80 minutes at Gloucester straight after the Quins match and the ways I know we can improve,” said Potgieter.

“I haven’t played at Gloucester before but it’s the last game in a block of three Premiership matches which we have targeted and it’s definitely a game we want to attack off the back of Quins.

“It’s not easy to win away from home. It’s a big ask and we will probably have to be 10 per cent better than we were last weekend.”

Potgieter has captained Warriors three times since being handed the duty for Warriors’ frustrating home defeat against Wasps at Sixways last month.

He faces a fitness battle for the trip to Gloucester after hurting his ankle in the second half of Warriors’ victory against Quins.

“I just rolled my ankle a bit but in a long career I’ve had quite a few of these injuries so there’s not a lot of damage left to be done to it,” he admitted.

Warriors have only won twice away from home in the league since returning to the top tier in the summer of 2015.

But Potgieter thinks Worcester should take heart from last weekend, particularly the influential display from fly-half Ryan Mills and their dominant line-out.

“In the first half against Quins we pretty much controlled where we wanted to play and the way we wanted to play. I think Millsy (Ryan Mills) had a massive part in that.

“We gave away some initiative in the Bristol game on Boxing Day by losing line-outs so we had quite a brutal week in terms of review and honesty.

“Darren Barry did a great job in the line-out and I think everyone knew they had to up their game by at least five or 10 per cent from Bristol.

"It just shows it’s not a question of talent or capability — it’s a focus thing and rugby is a simple game.”

Despite the win, Potgieter is mindful Warriors must work hard and focus for the full 80 minutes at Kingsholm to stand a chance of picking up another scalp.

He said: “Last weekend was an unbelievable response from the guys but we know every team in the Premiership have players capable of carving you up if you’re not on the top of your game.

“We put in a great shift against Quins, especially the first 60 minutes, but as soon as our systems started to slow down it got so much harder and they started to have their way with us. We need to work on that.”