Scotland international tighthead prop Murray McCallum will make his debut for Warriors against Gloucester Rugby in Wednesday’s Premiership Rugby Cup M5 derby at Sixways (kick-off 7.45pm).
McCallum was due to arrive at Sixways from Glasgow Warriors on January 1 but has been released by the Scottish side a few days early as Warriors have two tightheads, Jack Owlett and Joe Morris, sidelined by injury.
McCallum will start in a Warriors side that blends youth and experience for a match that sees the two unbeaten teams in Pool One. Warriors beat Bristol 68-13 in their first match in the competition last month while Gloucester arrive at Sixways on the back of bonus point wins over Bath Rugby and Exeter Chiefs.
Warriors will give debuts to full-back Tobi Wilson, centre Seb Atkinson and flanker Jack Forsythe, all members of the Three Pears Academy. Wilson and Atkinson have been gaining valuable first team experience on dual registrations at Stourbridge in National Two North this season while Forsythe has been playing for Luctonians on a similar arrangement.
Scrum-half Ollie Wynn, who made his debut off the bench against Bristol, will make his first start as will loosehead prop Kai Owen who has made 12 appearances as a replacement, the most recent at Saracens on Boxing Day.
Lock Justin Clegg returns from a shoulder injury but will start on the blindside flank as the experienced Matt Garvey and Graham Kitchener have been paired in the second row.
Three more Academy players, scrum-half Tom Miles, prop Ben Murphy and lock Cheick Kone, are in line for their Warriors debuts having been named among the replacements.
Miles has been playing for Loughborough Students in National Two North and Murphy and Kone have been playing for Luctonians alongside Forsythe.
Hooker Beck Cutting, who has been sidelined by an elbow injury, is in line for his seasonal debut off the bench along with England Under-20s loosehead prop Lewis Holsey and back-row forward Morgan Monks.
The bench includes fly-half Charlie Titcombe who is on loan from Loughborough Students where he is Miles’ half-back partner.
- Tickets for Warriors v Gloucester Rugby start at £12 and can be purchased here
- Skate@Sixways, our outdoor ice rink, and Danter’s Fun Fair will be open as part of the Festive Family Fun Day entertianment.
Warriors | 15 Tobi Wilson, 14 Jack Johnson, 13 Perry Humphreys, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Tom Howe, 10 Billy Searle (CC), 9 Ollie Wynn, 1 Kai Owen, 2 Isaac Miller, 3 Murray McCallum, 4 Matt Garvey (CC), 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Justin Clegg, 7 Jack Forsythe, 8 Tom Dodd.
Replacements | 16 Beck Cutting, 17 Lewis Holsey, 18 Ben Murphy, 19 Cheick Kone, 20 James Scott, 21 Morgan Monks, 22 Tom Miles, 23 Charlie Titcombe.
Gloucester Rugby | 15 Jake Morris, 14 Alex Morgan, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 12 Tom Seabrook, 11 Louis Hillman-Cooper, 10 George Barton (C), 9 Stephen Varney, 1 Alex Seville, 2 Henry Walker, 3 Jenson Boughton, 4 Arthur Clark, 5 Cameron Jordan, 6 Freddie Thomas, 7 Seb Nagle-Taylor, 8 Jack Bartlett.
Replacements | 16 Seb Blake, 17 Ciaran Knight, 18 Bryan O’Connor, 19 Ed Slater, 20 Rob Nixon, 21 Matty Jones, 22 Jack Reeves, 23 Morgan Adderly-Jones.