LONDON Irish captain Matt Symons is targeting a vital Aviva Premiership win – and family bragging rights – when Worcester Warriors visit Madejski Stadium on Sunday (1pm).

Rock bottom Exiles sit four points behind their opponents ahead of a crucial relegation battle, and Symons has extra motivation to secure a win, with his brother Andy, who plays centre, likely to be in the Warriors squad.

He admitted: “It is a massive game. There’s not too much to be said really, we know how important it is. 

“We’ve had a few crunch games already this season, so we feel like we are prepared for the challenge.

“But they are a quality side, very motivated and competitive, and we know it is going to be a huge challenge.”

The powerful second row – who has impressed during a difficult campaign – admitted he will not be speaking to his sibling too much before Sunday.

But he fondly recalled their time growing up, admitting: “We were both really competitive.

“There were lots of games in the garden and we would often beat up our younger brother, Will, but we would always look to get one up on one another.

“We played a few games of schoolboy rugby together, and half of those were spent fighting the opposition. It wasn’t a rugby school, it was a football school so we could barely get a side together. I used to play No. 8 and Andy played at scrum-half. It was always good fun.”

The brothers have played each other once before, when Matt represented Canterbury against Andy’s Tasman in the ITM Cup in New Zealand. 

And the Exiles star said: “We got the win which was pleasing and Andy tried to throw a dummy which I didn’t buy, so I got one up on him that day.”

The siblings’ parents will be watching on Sunday but Symons said they will be impartial.

He revealed: “They will be sitting on the fence hoping neither of us get injured.”