Aviva Premiership
Gray hopes to secure fly-half berth
ESPNscrum Staff
July 28, 2011
Bristol's Danny Gray lines up a kick at the posts, Bristol v Northampton Saints, Guinness Premiership, Memorial Ground, Bristol, England, March 25, 2007
Gray has had experience in the Premiership with Bristol and will hope to figure prominantly for the Warriors in the new season © Getty Images
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Worcester's new signing Danny Gray is confident he can revive his England Sevens form this Friday as he bids to steal a march on his Warriors fly-half rivals ahead of next season.

Gray arrived at Sixways on July 1 from French outfit Montauban and will pull on the Warriors jersey for the first time on Friday night in the JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series at Edgeley Park. Despite his England Sevens experience and a CV containing spells at Exeter Chiefs and Bristol, Gray will face stiff competition for a starting berth in the Premiership this season with the ever-reliable Andy Goode and Joe Carlisle vying for the fly-half jersey.

But while quick to accept the size of the task facing him to lock down a starting berth Gray is feeling bullish about getting that quest off to the perfect possible start on Friday. "I have not played Sevens at a really high level for a little while now but with the experience with England that I have hopefully that will stand me in good stead," said Gray.

"I have been training hard and the fitness should be there and hopefully that means I can get off to a good start in my Worcester career. I have always considered myself to be a good playmaker in the sevens game and am able to pull the strings and hopefully I can do that this weekend.

"There are a lot of talented players in our line up that hopefully I will be able to bring into the game and start my Worcester career off well. I have played against both Andy and Joe and they are both quality players and I know that I might have to be patient but I am excited to get the season started this weekend."

As is customary ahead of a Premiership campaign the newly-promoted Warriors are the bookies favourites to drop straight back down to the Championship. But 28-year-old Gray - who will line up against Leicester, Sale and Newcastle on Friday - has seen enough to beg to differ with those predictions.

"When I got offered the opportunity to come to play with Worcester and under Richard Hill it was an easy decision," added Gray. "And it has all gone well so far in training, there are a lot of very good players and we're looking forward to the new season."

Tickets for every round of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series are available through Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 2492

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