FIVE summer signings will make their Worcester Warriors debuts in today’s Aviva Premiership opener against Bath at Sixways (3pm).

Captain Dean Schofield, number eight Semisi Taulava, prop John Andress, winger David Lemi and centre Josh Matavesi are all named in Richard Hill’s starting XV.

Schofield will lead Worcester for the first time and is paired with James Percival in the second row, while giant Tongan Taulava starts in the back row alongside Chris Jones and Sam Betty.

Andress packs down with England international Matt Mullan and hooker Aleki Lutui, with Lemi providing the firepower out wide with Josh Drauniniu.

Matavesi is part of a new centre pairing alongside Alex Grove, Chris Pennell starts at full-back while Andy Goode and Shaun Perry form the half-back pairing.

Head coach Hill said: “We give five home debuts and we are excited to see how the new players make an impact for us.

“We are undoubtedly a better team than we were this time last year and now we want to see it all come together.

“The spirit at Sixways is superb, better than I have ever seen it, and we are a tight-knit group that knows one win can really spark us off.

“Over the last seven years this club has not achieved enough and our job is make sure we progress.

“Every year it gets better here in terms of the infrastructure, the management of the club and we have brought in better coaches and players.

“As coaches and players the time is now to perform. We have prepared as well as we can and now we have got to do it.

“We are excited about the future. The players are really looking forward to it and we are part of a club that knows where it is going. There is pressure but we all want to be part of it and see all the work we have done come together against Bath.”

Paul James, Dominic Day and Kyle Eastmond all make their first competitive starts for Bath.

“Worcester are a difficult side to prepare for,” said head coach Gary Gold. “They have a good, strong pack, a staunch defence and they are a team that work very hard for one another, which is always difficult to counter.”

Warriors: Pennell; Drauniniu, Grove, Matavesi, Lemi; Goode, Perry; Mullan, Lutui, Andress, Percival, Schofield, Chris Jones, Betty, Taulava. Replacements: Hayes, Ceri Jones, Currie, Gillies, Kvesic, Arr, Carlisle, Howard.

Bath: Abendanon; Biggs, Hipkiss, Banahan, Eastmond; Barkley; Claassens; James, Mears, Wilson, Hooper, Day, Fearns, Louw, Skirving. Replacements: Batty, Catt, Palma-Newport, Attwood, Skuse, McMillan, Devoto, Cuthbert.