Worcester v Wasps: Teams
Alex Grove will make his first Premiership start of the season for Worcester when the Warriors take on Wasps at Sixways.
Last Updated: 27/02/09 2:53pm
Alex Grove will make his first Premiership start of the season for Worcester when the Warriors take on Wasps at Sixways.
Grove will partner Hal Luscombe in the centres - with Worcester also welcoming back Aussie full-back Chris Latham.
Latham's return sees Willie Walker switch to fly-half, while Matt Mullan and Aleki Lutui come into the front row and Greg Rawlinson is back in the second row.
Wasps coach Shaun Edwards insists his side are determined to maintain their new year charge up the table.
The Warriors beat Wasps in the opening weeks of the season, but Edwards' side are currently on a run of five wins from their past six games.
And although Edwards has rung the changes for the visit to Worcester, he is confident his side can continue to climb the table.
"It will be a huge challenge going to Worcester - a place where we have had very little success previously," said Edwards.
"On the back of two Guinness Premiership wins the players are very determined to keep momentum and we will be looking for a big game on Saturday."
Edwards has made five changes in total, with a new-look front-row of Michael Holford, Joe Ward and Tom French.
In the backs Lachlan Mitchell comes in on the wing, while Eoin Reddan gets the nod at scrum-half.
Worcester: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Hal Luscombe, 12 Alex Grove, 11 Marcel Garvey, 10 Willie Walker, 9 Matt Powell, 8 Kai Horstmann, 7 Pat Sanderson (c), 6 Tom Wood, 5 Will Bowley, 4 Greg Rawlinson, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Darren Morris, 17 Chris Fortey, 18 Graham Kitchener, 19 Netani Talei, 20 Ryan Powell, 21 Joe Carlisle, 22 Miles Benjamin.
Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen, 14 Lachlan Mitchell, 13 Dominic Waldouck, 12 Josh Lewsey, 11 Tom Voyce 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 John Hart, 7 Serge Betsen (C), 6 Richard Birkett, 5 George Skivington, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Tom French, 2 Joe Ward, 1 Michael Holford.
Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Pat Barnard, 18 Marty Veale, 19 Hugo Ellis, 20 Mark Robinson , 21 Dave Walder, 22 Jeremy Staunton.