Wasps coach Tony Hanks watched Worcester beat Leeds last weekend

Wasps may be top of the Guinness Premiership table but they will take nothing for granted when they line up at home to Worcester on Sunday.

Mike Ruddock's Warriors won both last season's meetings between the two sides by just a single point.

"They've probably had the better of us over the years," Wasps coach Tony Hanks told BBC London 94.9, "so we're keen to get one back our way."

Wasps have so far beaten hard-hitting Bath and London rivals Harlequins.

But the Wasps management staff watched Worcester thump newly promoted Leeds 27-7 at Sixfields last weekend and Hanks admitted: "We were impressed with the way they went about it.

"We all know how difficult Worcester are. They played some positive rugby.

They won't want to lose twice again on their home patch, so it's going to be a very robust, physical encounter Worcester coach Mike Ruddock

"And there's something to look forward to in that there's two teams that use the ball and like to play some rugby."

Apart from hoping to keep up their winning start on Sunday, Wasps will be out to extend their run at Adams Park, where they have not last in nine matches.

But the Wasps coach knows how close Worcester were to getting an away win on the first day of the season at Northampton, where the Warriors narrowly went down 20-17.

"If the 10 minutes at the end of that game had gone a little bit different," he added, "we'd be talking about a top of the table clash on Sunday."

Worcester coach Ruddock said: "They're always going to be a difficult team to beat. They've got a really strong squad with a lot of really good players.

"We beat them twice last year so we're expecting a very warm welcome.

"They won't want to lose twice again on their home patch, so it's going to be a very robust, physical encounter.

"We have to get up there and do exactly what we did last year which is get up there, make life difficult for them and take our chances when we get them."

Ruddock is expected to name a similar side to the one that beat Leeds.

Callum Black will come in for Shaun Ruwers if the South African prop does not recover in time from a rib injury.

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