Leeds are determined to fight to the bitter end in order to keep their Guinness Premiership status this season, according to director of rugby Stuart Lancaster.

Today's 10-10 draw at Worcester maintains the home side's 14-point advantage over the Guinness Premiership's bottom side.

Lancaster was happy to have two points but said: ''Ultimately, we need to win games. Draws are a step forward but we need to do that on Friday.

''It will never be over until it is mathematically impossible and, even then, we have to look where we are. We are very much a young team and are a year and a half into our existence.

''We come up against sides like Worcester, who have been together for three or four years and are adding quality players on a regular basis.

''They and all the other sides in the Premiership are established while we are having to learn as we go, improve and learn from experiences.''

Leeds were battered by Worcester for long periods of time but their defence, often in desperate, last-gasp situations, was huge.

Lancaster added: ''To put that amount of effort in typifies what we are about.

''If you put that amount of character, spirit and courage in, you can build on it. They are the building blocks of a side.''

Worcester's director of rugby Mike Ruddock was not so pleased with the match as his side were denied tries and wasted opportunities to pull away and put themselves almost safe.

Leeds scored early through a Mike MacDonald try and Alberto Di Bernardo conversion before Aleki Lutui and Miles Benjamin hit back for Worcester. Di Bernardo tied it up at 10-10 by half-time.

Ruddock said: ''It was an opportunity we had that we let slip away. We dominated possession and territory and could not finish the game off.

''The last two games (wins over Sale and Leicester) we set certain standards and showed we could be right up there with the big boys and, with all due respect to Leeds, we felt we had made enough improvements to put them away.

''Having said that, to a man they tackled superbly and never gave up. They had the start they wanted and it made it difficult for us when they went 7-0 up.''

Worcester skipper Pat Sanderson chose to ask fly-half Shane Drahm to kick to touch in the second-half rather than go for goal, which could have won the match.

Ruddock said: ''It was always going to be the captain's choice on that. The conditions were bad and, if the kicker thinks he can do it, he is going to offer himself to the captain.

''Even if he managed to covert that, there was probably time for them to get back down the other end and score a try so, given the swirling wind and conditions, the feeling out there was that it was the right choice and I'm going to back the players on that one.''