Worcester Warriors host fellow strugglers Bristol Bears at Sixways on Friday night with both sides looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats.
Worcester were beaten comfortably by Sale Sharks and Bristol suffered a chastening 32-49 home defeat to London Irish.
After representing Scotland in the Six Nations, Duhan van der Merwe returns to the Worcester Warriors line-up.
His availability during the bye week in the Six Nations is a boost for the Warriors, who currently sit 12th in the table.
Van der Merwe’s compatriot Rory Sutherland was scheduled to feature tomorrow night but the prop is now unavailable following injuries sustained against Wales.
The British and Irish Lion is not the only injury and the Warriors have been forced into naming a complete change of back-row.
Joe Batley, Matt Kvesic and Sione Vailanu replace the back-row who played against Sale last weekend.
Comparatively, Pat Lam has made six changes from last week loss to London Irish.
The notable changes are the return of Welsh international Callum Sheedy to the starting XV whilst Jack Bates starts on the wing.
Bates comes in for Fijian winger Siva Naulago who has been banned for three games following his red card last Friday.
Scrum-half Theo Strang will join Sheedy in the midfield, making his first Premiership start.
Bristol have struggled to fill their match-day squads due to an ongoing injury crisis and this week have announced a new signing in Toby Venner.
The number nine has made the switch from Gloucester to Ashton Gate on a short-term loan deal, in order to bolster the depleted Bears squad.
The game will be preceded by a minute’s applause to tribute the life of Jack Jeffery who died from injuries he sustained whilst playing for Evesham RFC last weekend.
The game kicks off at 7:45 tomorrow night at Sixways.
Worcester Warriors: Backs: 15 Shillock 14 Humphreys 13 Hearle 12 Beck (Captain) 11 Van Der Merwe 10 Smith 9 Simpson Forwards: 1 Mccallum 2 Annett 3 Judge 4 Garvey 5 G.Kitchener 6 Batley 7 Kvesic 8 Vailanu Replacements: 16 Miller 17 Waller 18 Tyack 19 A. Kitchener 20 Clegg 21 Chudley 22 Searle 23 Atkinson
Bristol Bears: Backs: 15 Lloyd 14 Bates 13 Radradra 12 O’Conor 11 Leiua 10 Sheedy 9 Strang Forwards: 1 Thomas 2 Kerr 3 Lahiff 4 Holmes 5 Vui 6 Luatua 7 Thomas 8 Harding Replacements: 16 Thacker 17 Woolmore 18 Challenger 19 Joyce 20 Jeffries 21 Venner 22 Frisch 23 Purdy
