WORCESTER Warriors received a warning shot across their bows in Saturday’s 32-17 victory at Bedford Blues, according to director of rugby Dean Ryan.

Ryan insists table-topping Warriors now need to take stock before returning to Greene King IPA Championship action against basement boys Plymouth Albion at Sixways on March 7.

Warriors produced a poor first-half showing at Bedford’s Goldington Road ground and, playing up the infamous slope, they trailed 17-0 at the break.

Bedford’s lead, backed by their second biggest home crowd of the campaign, threatened to put an end to Warriors 21-match winning run at first-team level.

However, Worcester hit back in the second half with four tries and Tom Biggs’ touch - down in stoppage-time sealed Ryan’s men a bonus-point triumph.

“We need a break now — we need to take stock of where we are,” said Ryan.

“That wasn’t a bad warning shot across the bows about making sure we don’t drop our standards. The moment we drop our standards, we’re as vulnerable as anyone else.

“It’s nice to learn lessons on the back of a win because they don’t normally follow that way. In a different situ - ation, I don’t think we would have got out of jail like we did.

“We can’t take the foot off the gas in terms of our own standards and that wasn’t near our own standards.

When you’re in a hole you have got to be able to rely on everyone around you and I think we proved we could — so that was a positive thing.”