Team News | Stalwart trio to make farewell appearance against Bath

Warriors will say farewell to three long-serving players in Saturday’s final Gallagher Premiership match of the season against Bath Rugby at Sixways (kick-off 3pm).

Hooker Niall Annett, openside flanker Sam Lewis and loosehead prop Ethan Waller have each made more than 100 appearances for Warriors.

Annett is joining Bath next season, Waller is re-joining Northampton Saints and Lewis has yet to decide on his future plans.

Annett and Lewis will both start against Bath with Waller named among the replacements.

Tighthead prop Christian Judge will also say farewell to Warriors before he joins Saracens next season.

On what is likely to be an emotional day at Sixways, Warriors will also say goodbye to Director of Rugby Alan Solomons, who is retiring from coaching at the end of the season.

Solomons joined Warriors, initially as a consultant, midway through the 2017/18 season and will bring the curtain down on a coaching career that started in 1977 with University of Cape Town’s third XV.

Two other members of the coaching team, Defence Coach Jonny Bell and Scrum Coach Mark Irish, will also be leaving Warriors at the end of the season. Bell is returning to Ulster Rugby while Irish is stepping down for personal reasons.

Hooker Isaac Miller is in lien to make his 50th appearance for Warriors off the bench and there is also a place among the replacements for back-row forward Tom Dodd who has recovered from a knee injury sustained against Sale Sharks in February.

Of the starting XV against Bath only Lewis and British and Irish Lions and Scotland loosehead prop Rory Sutherland did not start in the Premiership Rugby Cup-winning side against London Irish two weeks ago.

Warriors | 15 Jamie Shillcock, 14 Perry Humphreys, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Gareth Simpson, 1 Rory Sutherland, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Christian Judge, 4 Joe Batley, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Kyle Hatherell, 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Ted Hill (C).

Replacements | 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Murray McCallum, 19 Andrew Kitchener, 20 Tom Dodd, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Noah Heward, 23 Alex Hearle.

Bath Rugby | 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Will Muir, 10 Orlando Bailey, 9 Ben Spencer, 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Ewan Richards, 5 Charlie Ewels (C), 6 Jaco Coetzee, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements | 16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Valeriy Morozov, 18 Ma’afu Fia, 19 Mike Williams, 20 Miles Reid, 21 Max Green, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Gabriel Hamer-Webb.

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