TEAMS – Round 3: Duncan Weir back for Worcester
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Scotland internationals Duncan Weir and Cornell du Preez will make their first appearances of the Premiership season for Worcester Warriors against Bath.
Fly-half Weir and No.8 Du Preez missed the first two matches of the campaign due to their involvement in Scotland’s end-of-year campaign, but they have been released for club duty having been left out of the matchday squad for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Cup match against Ireland in Dublin.
Both go straight into the Warriors’ starting XV against Bath with Weir boasting a 100 per cent kicking record – five penalties and four conversions – in his two starts for Scotland against Italy and France.
Du Preez’s return to club duty is timely as the Warriors lost two back-row forwards, Matt Kvesic (neck) and Marco Mama (groin), to injuries against Bristol last week.
Former Scotland U20 international Tom Dodd joins du Preez and Ted Hill in the back-row at openside flanker for his first home Premiership start.
Fit-again wing Perry Humphreys will also make his first appearance of the season, displacing Tom Howe who scored a try in each of the first two matches of the campaign.
Loosehead prop Ethan Waller, who came off the bench at Bristol, starts in the fifth change to the starting XV as the Warriors welcome back supporters for the first time in 275 days.
As for Bath, director of rugby Stuart Hooper has named a strong side for the trip to Sixways on Saturday.
The Blue, Black and White arrive in Worcester with a point to prove after two setbacks in their opening Premiership clashes of the new season.
There are three personnel changes to the starting XV who ran out at Sandy Park last weekend. Christian Judge starts on the tighthead with Henry Thomas ready to assert his influence from the bench.
Charlie Ewels has been retained by Eddie Jones for England’s Autumn Nations Cup finale against France and so it allows Elliott Stooke to make his first start of the new campaign.
Lastly, Semesa Rokoduguni is welcomed back onto the right wing as his fellow Fijian flyer Joe Cokansiga takes his place on the bench.
Worcester Warriors v Bath (Saturday, 3pm kick-off)
Worcester Warriors: 15 Melani Nanai, 14 Perry Humphreys, 13 Oli Morris, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Nick David, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Francois Hougaard; 1 Ethan Waller, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Richard Palframan, 4 Anton Bresler, 5 Andrew Kitchener, 6 Ted Hill (capt), 7 Tom Dodd, 8 Cornell du Preez
Replacements: 16 Beck Cutting, 17 Callum Black, 18 Conor Carey, 19 George Merrick, 20 Joe Batley, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Ashley Beck
Bath: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Cameron Redpath, 12 Josh Matavesi, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Ben Spencer; 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Christian Judge, 4 Josh McNally (capt), 5 Elliott Stooke, 6 Mike Williams, 7 Josh Bayliss, 8 Zach Mercer
Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Ethan Staddon, 20 Miles Reid, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Max Wright, 23 Joe Cokanasiga
Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs (Saturday, 3pm kick-off)
Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Guy Porter, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Harry Simmons, 10 Zack Henry, 9 Richard Wigglesworth; 1 Nephi Leatigaga, 2 Tom Youngs (capt), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Harry Wells, 5 Calum Green, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Cyle Brink, 8 Jasper Wiese
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Ryan Bower, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Blake Enever, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 Jordan Taufua, 22 Ben White, 23 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Facundo Cordero, 14 Ian Whitten, 13 Tom Hendrickson, 12 Ollie Devoto, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Stu Townsend; 1 Ben Moon, 2 Jack Yeandle (capt), 3 Harry Williams, 4 Will Witty, 5 Don Armand, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 James Kenny, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Tom Price, 20 Richard Capstick, 21 Jack Maunder, 22 Jack Walsh, 23 Josh Hodge
Bristol Bears v Northampton Saints (Friday, 7.45pm kick-off)
Bristol Bears: 15 Henry Purdy, 14 Niyi Adeolokun, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Siale Piutau (capt), 11 Alapati Leiua, 10 Sam Bedlow, 9 Andy Uren; 1 Jake Woolmore, 2 Bryan Byrne, 3 Max Lahiff, 4 Dave Attwood, 5 Joe Joyce, 6 Jake Heenan, 7 Dan Thomas, 8 Nathan Hughes
Replacements: 16 Will Capon, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 John Afoa, 19 Ed Holmes, 20 Mitch Eadie, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Tiff Eden, 23 Toby Fricker
Northampton Saints: 15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Matt Proctor, 13 Piers Francis, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Tom Collins, 10 James Grayson, 9 Henry Taylor; 1 Alex Waller (co-capt), 2 Reece Marshall, 3 Owen Franks, 4 Api Ratuniyawara, 5 David Ribbans, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 7 Lewis Ludlam (co-capt), 8 Tom Wood
Replacements: 16 James Fish, 17 Francois Van Wyk, 18 Ehren Painter, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Shaun Adendorff, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Fraser Dingwall, 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro
London Irish v Sale Sharks (Sunday, 2.30pm kick-off)
London Irish: 15 Tom Homer, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Nick Phipps; 1 Allan Dell, 2 Agustin Creevy, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 George Nott, 5 Andrei Mahu, 6 Jack Cooke, 7 Izzy Moore-Aiono, 8 Matt Rogerson (capt)
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Ollie Hoskins, 19 Isaac Curtis-Harris, 20 Steve Mafi, 21 Ben Meehan, 22 Theo Brophy Clews, 23 Tom Parton
Sale Sharks: 15 Luke James, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Sam James, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Simon Hammersley, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Faf de Klerk; 1 Valery Morozov, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 3 WillGriff John, 4 Matt Postlethwaite, 5 James Phillips, 6 Cobus Wiese, 7 Jono Ross (capt), 8 Jean-Luc du Preez
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 Sam Dugdale, 20 Ewan Ashman, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Rob du Preez, 23 Marland Yarde
Gloucester v Harlequins (Sunday, 4.15pm kick-off)
Gloucester: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Ollie Thorley, 13 Billy Twelvetrees (capt), 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Tom Seabrook, 10 Lloyd Evans, 9 Joe Simpson; 1 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Jack Stanley, 4 Ed Slater, 5 Matt Garvey, 6 Jordy Reid, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 8 Ruan Ackermann
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Val Rapava-Ruskin, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Alex Craig, 20 Freddie Clarke, 21 Will Flinn, 22 Henry Trinder, 23 Kyle Moyle
Harlequins: 15 Chris Ashton, 14 Nathan Earle, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Danny Care; 1 Santiago Garcia Botta, 2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Wilco Louw, 4 Matt Symons, 5 Glen Young, 6 James Chisholm, 7 Will Evans, 8 Alex Dombrandt (capt)
Replacements: 16 Elia Elia, 17 Jordan Els, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Hugh Tizard, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Scott Steele, 22 Tyrone Green, 23 Paul Lasike
