Garvey returns to Warriors fray (From Worcester News)

Garvey returns to Warriors fray

5:46pm Friday 5th February 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

WING Marcel Garvey has been recalled to Worcester Warriors’ line-up for tomorrow’s LV= Cup clash with London Irish at Sixways (3pm).

Garvey, who recently signed a new deal at Warriors, is one of three changes made by director of rugby Mike Ruddock from the team that tasted defeat at Gloucester in the last pool game.

Academy product Greg King is named at inside centre alongside Dale Rasmussen with Sam Tuitupou unavailable after returning to New Zealand for a family matter.

Prop Tevita Taumoepeau is promoted to the front row, with Olivier Sourgens moving to the bench.

“What we need to do now is bounce back from that, hope it was just a bit of rustiness, and play a lot better on Saturday to show our fans we are capable of going into the next round of league games in much better shape.”

Mike Ruddock

Tom Wood and Miles Benjamin are representing England Saxons in Italy, while Alex Grove is a replacements for Scotland against France in the Six Nations on Sunday.

Matt Mullan returns from senior England training and is on the bench.

Worcester can only progress to the last four of the cup if they win with a bonus point and Cardiff Blues, Harlequins and Wasps all lose and score few tries.

The Exiles need a bonus-point win while hoping that Scarlets gain no points and Gloucester fail to win.

Ruddock said: “The plan for the Gloucester and Irish games was always to pick two strong teams and rest those guys prior to that.

“It is like a mini pre-season really where the senior guys, who were rested for the European games, did plenty of fitness work before using these two games to get us really into sync for the return to the Premiership.

“We’ve got 10 cup finals left in the league. I was really disappointed with the Gloucester game and take full responsibility for that — we weren’t good.

“What we need to do now is bounce back from that, hope it was just a bit of rustiness, and play a lot better on Saturday to show our fans we are capable of going into the next round of league games in much better shape.”

But Warriors face a tough task with the only win in their last 11 games a 54-3 success at home to Madrid in the European Challenge Cup last month.

Irish are without a win in their last four games.

Warriors: Latham; Pennell, Rasmussen, King, Marcel Garvey; Walker, Arr; Black, Lutui, Taumoepeau, Rawlinson, Gillies, Cracknell, Sanderson (capt), Horstmann. Reps: Mullan, Fortey, Sourgens, Bowley, Collins, Powell, Jones, Gear.

Irish: Hewat (capt); Ojo, Seveali’i, Mapusua, Rudd; Lamb, Lalanne, Murphy, Buckland, Rautenbach, Matt Garvey, Perry, Johnson, Thorpe, Roche. Reps: Coetzee, Dermody, Tideswell, Low, Gibson, Malone, Richards, Lennard.