Lemi and Matavesi back for Warriors (From Worcester News)

Lemi and Matavesi back for Warriors

11:49am Friday 25th January 2013 in Sport By Tom Guest, @tomguestWN #WENsport

WING David Lemi and centre Josh Matavesi are both recalled as Worcester Warriors resume LV= Cup action with a trip to London Irish at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday (3pm).

Samoa captain Lemi features for the first time since the narrow league defeat to Leicester Tigers in early January while Matavesi is recalled to partner Jon Clarke in midfield.

Props Ceri Jones and James Currie are also handed starting spots and young flanker Richard De Carpentier is also selected.

Head Coach Richard Hill said: “It’s a big game and we understand that London Irish are really going to go for it too. But we are in a good position at the top of the league at the moment.

“Next week we are playing Saracens at home and they are missing quite a few of their players, including their backs with the England call-ups, so we have a huge opportunity.

“London Irish are going to put a strong side out. However, last time they played at Sixways we managed to win and get the bonus try and it went very well. That’ll be in our minds and we have talked about how we did that last time and try to replicate it.”

Warriors: Claassens; Drauniniu, Clarke, Matavesi, Lemi; Gray, Arr; Ceri Jones, Hayes, Currie, Schofield, Gillies, De Carpentier, Abbott, Cowan. Replacements: Shervington, O’Donnell, Andress, Percival, Betty, Frost, Goode, Short.