LEAGUE leaders Worcester have kept faith with the side which beat promotion rivals Rotherham despite the return of lock Richard Denhardt.

The Sixways selectors have named the same XV which won 21-10 at Sixways on Saturday so Denhardt, who has completed a three-match ban, must be content with a place on the bench.

Denhardt replaces Ed Orgee with the only other change to the club's 22-strong squad to face London Welsh at Old Deer Park tomorrow being the return of scrum-half Ben Harvey who replaces Steve Powell on the bench after recovering from a hamstring strain.

Former Moseley skipper Denhardt has been a virtual ever present since signing for Worcester in the summer of 1998.

But the 31-year-old received a 21-day ban from the RFU for the punch on Manchester captain Steve Swindells which saw him dismissed after 55 minutes of Worcester's opening league match.

Director of rugby Les Cusworth is now backing Denhardt to have a fine season.

"Richard has trained very hard for the last three weeks and his attitude, both at the time of the incident and afterwards, has been exemplary," he said.

"I'm sure Richard Denhardt will now go on to have a good season."

Cusworth has been delighted with Worcester's start and relieved that so far injuries have been kept to a minimum.

"We've had a lot of knocks and minor injuries but it's nice to be able to pick the same side two weeks running as you've got to look for a degree of stability and continuity," he added.

Worcester: Hughes, Walker, Higgins, Connolly, Baxter, Yapp, Fenley, Windo, Richards, Lyman, Raymond, Lloyd, Merlin, Carter, Jenner.

Replacements: Ball, Linnett, Cockle, Denhardt, Myler, Harvey, McLaughlin.

Stand-off James Lofthouse has left Worcester to take up a degree course at Newcastle University.

The England U21 international was signed last summer but has been limited to just a handful of first team injuries due to injury.

He dislocated a shoulder training with the England squad last autumn and was unavailable until the dying weeks of Worcester's league campaign.

Lofthouse, who is 22 today, has also found himself outside Cusworth's first team plans so far this season.

"James has recently been offered a place to study a degree course at Newcastle University and has taken up that offer," said Cusworth.

"He has therefore asked us to release him from his contract at Worcester and we did so with regret."