A HOST of new faces will take to the field when Worcester Warriors go up against Ospreys in their opening pre-season clash at Sixways tonight (Friday, 7.30pm).
New scrum half Charlie Mulchrone will skipper the side, which will see a number of summer signings make their first appearance for Warriors.
Wing Sam Smith and lock Dan Sanderson will hope to make a strong first impression when they face the Welsh outfit, while a brand-new front row comprising of Ryan Bower, Niall Annett and Nick Schonert will be aiming to push their case.
One recruit who will be familiar with the atmosphere generated on a Friday night at Sixways will be Matt Cox, who joined from Gloucester this summer. The 26-year-old, who came through the club’s academy, will make his first outing in a Worcester shirt since 2010 when he lines up at number eight.
He will play alongside Richard de Carpentier and Sam Betty in the back row, while full back Ben Howard, wing Dean Hammond, fly half Ignacio Mieres, lock Mike Williams and talented young centres Max Stelling and Andy Symons have been named in director of rugby Dean Ryan’s first 15.
The Warriors boss has also provided opportunities for a number of the club’s rising stars on the bench, including Tiff Eden, Val Rapava Ruskin, Mike Daniels, Sam Smith (jnr) and Christian Scotland-Williamson.
New signings Dan George, Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier and Heath Stevens will also be among the 11 replacements along with James Percival, Josh Drauniniu and Ravai Fatiaki.
Warriors’ side to face Ospreys: Howard, Smith, Stelling, Symons, Hammond, Mieres, Mulchrone (C), Bower, Annett (VC), Schonert, Williams, Sanderson, De Carpentier, Betty, Cox
Replacements: George, Rapava Ruskin, Daniels, Percival, Scotland-Williamson, Bruzulier, Eden, Fatiaki, Stevens, Drauniniu, Smith (jnr)