MATT Garvey will make his first competitive start for Warriors against his former club Gloucester Rugby in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership derby at Sixways (kick-off 3pm).
Lock Garvey made the short move up the M5 during the summer and has impressed as a replacement in Warriors’ first two league matches of the season against London Irish and Harlequins.
He comes into the starting XV as one of two changes to the side that took two bonus points from a narrow defeat at Harlequins last Saturday.
Melani Nanai starts on the left wing in place of Perry Humphreys. Nanai started at full-back against Irish but suffered a sore Achilles in that match and was used as a second half wing replacement at Harlequins.
Kyle Hatherell, who has started in both matches, will provide second row cover from the bench this week.
Tonga international back-row Sione Vailanu, a summer signing from Wasps, is set to make his first competitive appearance for Warriors having recovered from the calf injury he suffered in a pre-season friendly against Connacht last month.
Centre Oli Morris also returns to the matchday squad as a replacement.
Apart from Garvey there are two more former Gloucester players in Saturday’s starting XV in former Wales fly-half Owen Williams, who has returned to the Premiership having spent a season playing in Japan, and England international scrum-half Willi Heinz who moved from Kingsholm during the summer.
Centre Ollie Lawrence has recovered from the illness which ruled him out of England’s training camp earlier this week. Club Captain Ted Hill, who took part in that camp, returns to club duty.
Warriors | 15 Jamie Shillcock, 14 Noah Heward, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Melani Nanai, 10 Owen Williams, 9 Willi Heinz (CC), 1 Ethan Waller, 2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Christian Judge, 4 Matt Garvey, 5 Justin Clegg, 6 Ted Hill (CC), 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Matt Kvesic.
Replacements | 16 Niall Annett, 17 Marc Thomas, 18 Jack Owlett, 19 Kyle Hatherell, 20 Sione Vailanu, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Oli Morris.