BOSS Alan Solomons says Worcester Warriors’ players will head off for a week’s break in control of their own destiny after achieving their eight-point target.

Warriors ended their four-week block of Aviva Premiership games with back-to-back defeats, losing 22-9 at bottom club London Irish and then suffering a 34-5 reverse to Leicester Tigers last Sunday.

But Solomons admitted Worcester had already secured the two wins they were hoping for as they beat Exeter Chiefs 6-5 at Sandy Park before overcoming Gloucester 25-15 at Sixways.

Warriors’ chief said he would have liked one of those victories to have come against relegation-threatened Irish.

But with the Exiles losing three of their four games Worcester hold a 12-point advantage over their rivals with five games left.

“We always knew this was a big block of four games for us,” said Solomons whose side return to action on Saturday, March 24, with a trip to Sale Sharks.

“It was tough so everyone is off for a week and then we will regather a week on Tuesday and we’ll have a two-week lead into the Sale game.

“We wanted eight points out of this block.

“We would have liked to have got the eight points via a win over London Irish which didn’t happen.

“But we at least got the eight points from the four games which was a positive.”

Irish were trailing 17-16 at the Ricoh Arena before being denied a losing bonus point when Tom Cruse touched down late on to clinch a 24-16 win for Wasps.

“You have got to be aware of where Irish are and the fact they got no points out of that game is beneficial to us,” Solomons said.

“We are in control of our own destiny at the moment and we have got to look at it one game at a time.

“We have got five games left this season.

“We have got the Sale game and then we have got a two-week break.

“We have then got back-to-back fixtures (against Newcastle and Wasps), a two-week break and then back-to-back matches (against Harlequins and Northampton Saints) so we have got to take one game at a time.”

Although disappointed to lose to Irish and Tigers, Solomons felt their battling displays in edging Exeter and beating Gloucester had taken a lot out of his players.

Scrum-half Francois Hougaard (ankle) and flanker Sam Lewis (hamstring) were ruled out of the Leicester clash due to injury.

Worcester also suffered the blow of losing centre Ryan Mills, who hobbled off in the first half with an ankle issue, and then number nine Luke Baldwin was stretchered off with a knee injury.

“This was a big block of games,” Solomons said.

“We did really well in the first two games and got eight points out of them but we paid the price for that to some extent, certainly in terms of our injuries.

“Jacko (Jackson Willison) recovered and Jack Singleton could play so that was another positive but then we lost Ryan very early doors.

“The Premiership is a tough competition — it’s physical and attritional.”