SAMOA international Ezra Taylor makes his debut for Worcester Warriors as head coach Richard Hill rings the changes for the Aviva Premiership trip to Wasps on New Year's Day (3pm).

The all-action back row arrived at Sixways last week and has been handed the number eight jersey for the Adams Park clash.

Taylor is one of five alterations, four in the pack, to the Warriors starting line-up following Tuesday’s 32-13 defeat to Leicester Tigers.

As well as Taylor, who comes into the back row alongside Matt Kvesic, Aleki Lutui and Oliver Tomaszczyk both win call-ups in the front row, while the versatile Chris Jones moves to number five.

Scrum-half Jonny Arr is recalled to partner fly-half Joe Carlisle as former England international Shaun Perry drops to the bench.

Hill has opted to freshen up his team following a bruising contest against the Tigers and is eager to get a glimpse of new recruit Taylor in a Worcester shirt.

Wasps also make five changes as they bid to bounce back from the 39-10 Boxing Day defeat at Gloucester.

Influential flanker Jonathan Poff returns to the number seven shirt after six weeks out through injury and is joined in the back row by new signing Tinus Du Plessis and Sam Jones.

Tom Varndell and Dom Waldouck are also in the starting line-up with the latter having recovered from a knock which kept him out of the Gloucester game.

Warriors: Pennell; Garvey, Grove, Rasmussen, Benjamin; Carlisle, Arr; Mullan, Lutui, Tomaszczyk, Percival, C Jones, Betty, Kvesic, Taylor. Replacements: Douglas, Shervington, Taumoepeau, Gulliver, Abbott, Perry, Goode, Fatiaki.

Wasps: Haughton; Varndell, Waldouck, Flutey, Wade; Robinson, Simpson; S Jones, Poff, Du Plessis, Wentzel, Birkett, Broster, Webber, Payne. Replacements: Lindsay, Baker, Castex, O’Donoghue, Everard, Berry, Davis, Daly.