BACK row Sam Betty has returned to the side as head coach Carl Hogg shuffles his pack for Worcester Warriors’ British & Irish clash against Munster A at Sixways today (3pm).
The 27-year-old has replaced youngster Andrew Boyce while Ofa Fainga’anuku has been selected ahead of academy prop Jack Cosgrove, who had a difficult afternoon against Nottingham last week.
Warriors got their B&I Cup campaign off to the perfect start as they came from behind to secure a 26-19 win at Meadow Lane on Sunday.
But Hogg said he was anticipating a different contest against a power-packed Munster side who will also be looking to clinch back-to-back wins having defeated Moseley 27-21.
“Their A team looks to be trying to mirror that of the first-team so we’ll expect a set-piece, forward-dominated competition and they’ll play some rugby off the back of it,” he said,
“They’ll look to get on the front foot primarily through the forwards but that’s another challenge for this group.
“It will be about fronting that physicality especially in the first 20 minutes.”
Hooker Ben Sowrey and prop Joe Rees will make their full debuts, while youngsters Huw Taylor, Shay Kerry and former Munster man Darren O’Shea have retained their places in the starting line-up.
And Hogg said it would be another chance for Cavaliers players and academy aces to shine and push their cases to play in the Greene King IPA Championship.
“Monday nights in the Aviva A League or the British & Irish Cup give you an opportunity to go out and manage a game,” he added.
“It’s not always the picture perfect. There’s not always an open solution but you expose them to experience – whether that’s being down at half-time or being up in games – it’s how you manage a situation from that.
“It has to be manageable within the group out on the field as opposed to sometimes the coaches off of it.”
Warriors’ side to face Munster: Humphreys, Stephenson, Stelling, Fatiaki, Hammond, Eden, Bruzulier (C), Fainga’anuku, Sowrey, Rees, Kerry, O’Shea, de Carpentier, Betty, Taylor
Replacements: Singleton, Rapava Ruskin, Daniels, Boyce, de Cothi, Hughes, Watkins