Worcester v Bristol predictions and rugby union tips: Bears bite back

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Worcester Warriors v Bristol Bears in the Gallagher Premiership on Friday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 8.15pm Friday

Best bet

Bristol -7
2pts 10-11 bet365

Match preview

Two storm fronts could hit Worcester on Friday with an improving Bristol side in town and intent on getting back to winning ways.

The Warriors play host to the Bears in the immediate aftermath of Storm Eunice, which is forecast to have died down by kick off time at Sixways.

Worcester will be happy for calmer conditions having got used to being blown away recently, losing their last five Premiership matches by an average margin of 17 points.

Injuries have been partly to blame and director of rugby Steve Diamond is missing several options at centre while he’s been forced to name a whole new back row from the one that started last week’s loss at Sale.

But even taking into account the absentees, it's still been far too easy to get across the tryline when facing Worcester, who have given up a league-high 77 tries this season, 15 more than any other team.

That leaves them vulnerable to a Bristol side who have been sharp when they’ve got in view of the whitewash, scoring 23 tries in their last five games in all competitions.

Bristol won four of those five fixtures, the only blip during that time being last weekend’s 49-32 loss to London Irish. The Bears were exposed in a 30-minute try blitz by the Exiles but it’s debatable whether a Worcester side who have failed to crack the 20-point mark in four straight games can do something similar, even with winger Duhan van der Merwe back in the team.

Bristol have a few injury concerns of their own - Theo Strang will be making his first start at scrum-half - but there’s enough quality elsewhere to take the game to Worcester.

There’s plenty of experience in the pack, while Callum Sheedy is back at fly-half and Semi Radradra and Ioan Lloyd provide the X-factor among the backs.

Bristol easily covered a 15-point handicap in the reverse fixture with a 27-5 win and should be more than a converted try better than Worcester in the rematch.

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