GIANT lock Dan Sanderson insists Worcester Warriors must be prepared to take the heat out of the Munster ‘A’ challenge in Cork on Friday.

Warriors are on the brink of qualifying for the British and Irish Cup quarter-finals and face Munster in a battle at the top of Pool Three.

Worcester head the group from Munster and scored a last-gasp try to topple them 27-23 at Sixways in October.

Sanderson wants to be involved after playing 58 minutes of the 31-12 win over his old club Moseley on Saturday.

It was his first game back after knee surgery and the 6ft 8ins forward said: “I would love to play against Munster.

“I would love to get as many games as possible now because of the matches I have missed through injury. I have played at Cork before and it’s a tough place to go.

“We are looking forward to the game because it’s another chance to put a hand up for the shirt. Teams will come out fighting and we need to be cute for those first 10 minutes after half-time, take the fire out of them and not let them get back into the game.”

The 30-year-old, who joined Warriors from Rotherham in the summer, played in Warriors’ first four Championship games and then had surgery.

“I had a clear-out of my knee,” he said. “I injured it at the back end of last season so I was having it drained but it was a routine clear-out.

“I was out for about six weeks and, as a rugby player, you’re a creature of habit and, once you get out of that pre-match routine, it’s a bit weird getting back into it.

“You are nervous before the game but, as soon as you’re in the changing room with the boys, it goes. It was fine.

I would have liked 80 minutes but I understand that everyone needs to play.”

Sanderson feels Warriors must be ready to fight until the final whistle at Munster.

He added: “We have got to learn to squeeze out the game and punish teams more. Maybe it’s down to complacency on our part.

“The coaches are frustrated with it and the players are too. We are going to keep trying hard until we put in an 80-minute performance.”