Worcester v Exiles: Teams
Tongan hooker Aleki Lutui has called on his Worcester team-mates to start producing the goods if they are to avoid the drop.
Last Updated: 21/02/08 1:04pm
Tongan hooker Aleki Lutui has called on his Worcester team-mates to start producing the goods if they are to avoid the drop.
Worcester remain in the relegation mire, however a victory over London Irish at Sixways would go along way to securing their safety.
And Lutui is ready to take the game to the exiles.
"The time for talk is over, we need to start producing on the field in these big games, every game is huge now," Lutui told The Warrior match-day magazine.
"We're all really looking forward to the London Irish game. It is a game that we must win, we have let ourselves down and we need our preparations to be spot on because it will be a hard game.
"The last time we played them in the league was a painful memory. We were in a position to win, then we were drawing and then we shipped a late try. That was frustrating and we have to make sure we learn from our mistakes.
Display
"We need to front up for our fans. We are not just playing for us and our families, we are playing for our supporters and this club and need a display to show that."
Worcester have recalled fly-half Loki Crichton to face the Exiles, with scrum-half Matt Powell also named in the starting XV.
Skipper Pat Sanderson has been cleared to play despite injuring himself against Harlequins - however Darren Morris and Netani Talei are ruled out.
Delon Armitge will make his 100th senior appearance for London Irish when he leads the Exiles out - despite being just 24.
Armitge made his senior debut in the 2004-05 season and he has played at full-back, on the wing and at outside centre - scoring 37 tries and 247 points.
Armitage is part of a backline that has three changes from the team which registered a rare win over Leicester Tigers last Sunday. Injuries received in that match by Shane Geraghty and Eoghan Hickey mean that Nils Mordt and Mike Catt start at inside centre and fly-half respectively.
Paul Hodgson's selection in the England squad to face France allows Warren Fury to take over at scrum-half with the promising utility back Ben Stevenson providing cover on the bench.
Performance
Among the forwards Danie Coetzee and James Hudson rotate with David Paice and Nick Kennedy at hooker and at lock respectively. The back row that competed so well at the breakdown against Leicester is unchanged. Bob Casey captains the team.
"Last weekend's round of Guinness Premiership matches proved yet again what a competitive league it is," said Brian Smith, London Irish director of rugby.
"Despite a great performance in recording a rare victory over the reigning champions we actually slipped back a position in the table as results elsewhere went against us. Having said that we are among the chasing pack closing down on the top four pacesetters.
"Tomorrow night we meet Worcester for the fourth time this season. While we've had the better of the exchanges to-date we're under no illusions about the difficulty of the challenge that awaits us in Sixways.
"The Warriors' league position belies a strong and talented team which Mike Ruddock is turning into an attacking force that can punish any opposition that is not at its best."
Worcester: 15 Thinus Delport, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Dale Rasmussen, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Loki Crichton, 9 Matt Powell, 1 Tony Windo, 2 Aleki Lutui, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 4 Greg Rawlinson, 5 Craig Gillies, 6 Drew Hickey, 7 Pat Sanderson (c), 8 Kai Horstmann.
Replacements: 16 Shaun Ruwers, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Will Bowley, 19 Tom Wood, 20 Ryan Powell, 21 Shane Drahm, 22 Marcel Garvey.
London Irish: 15 Peter Hewat, 14 Topsy Ojo, 13 Delon Armitage, 12 Nils Mordt, 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 10 Mike Catt, 9 Warren Fury, 1 Tonga Lea'aetoa, 2 Danie Coetzee, 3 Faan Rautenbach, 4 James Hudson, 5 Bob Casey, 6 Kieran Roche, 7 Steffon Armitage, 8 Richard Thorpe.
Replacements: 16 Dan Murphy, 17 David Paice, 18 Richard Skuse, 19 Nick Kennedy, 20 Juan Leguizamon, 21 Ben Stevenson, 22 Gonzalo Tiesi.