Preview: Worcester v Bath
Will Spencer returns to the Worcester Warriors’ starting line-up as Alan Solomons looks to pick up his first win as director of rugby against Bath on Friday.
The big lock is the only change from the side that picked up a bonus-point at Saracens last weekend.
In the back three, Josh Adams looks to continue his hot scoring streak having crossed in each of his last six Premiership appearances, and sits just two behind Mark Cueto who holds the record.
With nine league tries to his name, Adams is also just one shy of becoming Warriors’ highest ever try-scorer in a Premiership season, as he gets set to overtake Miles Benjamin and Cooper Vuna.
The Welshman is joined in the back three by powerful Kiwi winger Bryce Heem and full-back Chris Pennell, with the latter looking to continue his fine form with the boot, having landed 33 points in his previous three Premiership outings.
Ryan Mills, who signed a long-term deal with the club earlier this week, is joined by Jackson Willison in the centre, while Springbok star Francois Hougaard partners Sam Olver at half-back.
Ethan Waller, Jack Singleton and Gareth Milasinovich start in the front-row while captain Donncha O’Callaghan and Spencer get the nod in the second-row.
Former Bath forward David Denton starts against his old club in the back-row alongside Sam Lewis and GJ van Velze, while Joe Taufete’e is back in the squad among the replacements.
Meanwhile, Rhys Priestland will make his 50th appearance for Bath against Worcester on Friday.
The Welsh international starts at fly-half alongside Chris Cook, who returns to the line-up in the number nine jersey. Ben Tapuai returns to take his place at inside centre alongside Jonathan Joseph in the midfield, as Aled Brew, Jack Wilson and Anthony Watson continue in the back three positions for the trip.
Beno Obano, Tom Dunn and Henry Thomas, who were all part of Eddie Jones’s England training camp earlier this week, start in the front-row.
James Phillips and Elliott Stooke form the second-row combination, with Matt Garvey captaining the team at blindside flanker. Paul Grant and Zach Mercer complete an unchanged back-row.
Form: Worcester emerged victorious in their previous home game, defeating London Irish 23-8, but they have struggled throughout this campaign, winning just three of their 12 matches. Bath are also on a disappointing run, losing successive league games to Exeter Chiefs, Sale Sharks and Wasps, leaving them down in sixth position in the Aviva Premiership, five points off the top-four. The West Countrymen’s last domestic triumph on the road came against Irish on November 19.
The teams:
Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Jackson Willison, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Olver, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 GJ van Velze, 7 Sam Lewis, 6 David Denton, 5 Will Spencer, 4 Donncha O’Callaghan (c), 3 Gareth Milasinovich, 2 Jack Singleton, 1 Ethan Waller
Replacements: 16 Joe Taufete’e, 17 Ryan Bower, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Darren Barry, 20 Alafoti Faosiliva, 21 Michael Dowsett, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Perry Humphreys
Bath: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Jack Wilson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Aled Brew, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Chris Cook, 8 Zach Mercer, 7 Paul Grant, 6 Matt Garvey (c), 5 Elliott Stooke, 4 James Phillips, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Lucas Noguera, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Levi Douglas, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Kahn Fotuali’i, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 James Wilson
Date: Friday, January 5
Venue: Sixways
Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe, Paul Dix
TMO: Trevor Fisher