IT WOULD have taken a brave man to predict Alex Grove would be on the fringes of Worcester Warriors’ first team at this stage in the season.
For the past six years the Scotland international has been a mainstay in Worcester’s midfield having made more than 100 starts for the club.
But with five games remaining until the promotion play-offs, the 27-year-old faces a battle to get into Director of Rugby Dean Ryan’s plans.
Grove has made just six appearances in the Greene King IPA Championship, with his last coming against Plymouth Albion in November.
But Ryan insisted the outside centre has not played well enough to take the number 13 shirt off Max Stelling who has been one of Warriors’ star performers this season.
“Alex hasn’t struggled to get game time as he has played 16 or 17 times. But he just has not played in the Championship side,” Ryan said.
“We have been pretty clear with Alex – we don’t think he has played as well as Max when he has had his opportunities and that’s life.
“He has been fantastic around the club. He is a fantastic professional and he is desperate to get in that mix as he a player who is on the fringes. But at the moment he has not been able to cement his place.”
Grove featured in Warriors’ victory over Leinster A in the semi-final and Ryan said there would not be many chances for players to stake their case for selection.
“Of course (there is a chance for players to push into the first team),” he said.
“But we have been changing things for the past eight or nine months.
“There is always going to be some margins around those people who are on the fringes but mass movement is unlikely.
“If you are on the fringes you are part of that (group of) 23, 24, 25, 26 and that can shift because I have got history and evidence of you playing well.
“But to be a long way out it would need a big shift and probably an injury to bring them into the equation.
Ryan added: “We have got the British & Irish Cup final and I am not leaving it up for grabs much longer than that.
“We will go through Leeds and Bristol pretty much knowing where we are.
“Everything was up for grabs pre-Christmas, but it has been less since Christmas. The B&I Cup has given us a couple more windows but that is it.
“That does not mean the 15 is nailed down, but we know roughly who is going to be involved.”