Premiership Rugby Cup: Debuts galore as Warriors face Bears

Wing Johnson joined the club from Championship outfit Hartpury during the summer and featured in the pre-season clash at Cornish Pirates in September.

An England Students international, Johnson has waited patiently for his first competitive appearance but will finally get his chance on Saturday.

He is part of a starting XV that includes ten players involved in the Gallagher Premiership matchup against the Bears at Ashton Gate earlier this month.

In the league encounter, Bristol came out 27-5 winners.

Jack Johnson joined Worcester from Hartbury in the summer. Photo: Hartbury RFC

Fellow winger Alex Hearle and openside flanker Tom Dodd will both make their first competitive appearance of the season.

Meanwhile hooker Niall Annett and fly-half Billy Searle will share the captaincy duties.

Lock Anton Bresler could be in line to make his seasonal debut.

He starts on the bench having recovered from a foot injury that required surgery during the summer.

Scrum-half Ollie Wynn, a member of the Three Pears Warriors Academy, also starts as a replacement, he will hope to make his senior debut having been recalled from a loan spell at Championship club Ampthill.

Similarly, wing Tom Howe has been recalled from a loan spell at Coventry whilst props Kai Owen and Joe Morris both return from a spell with Birmingham Moseley.

All three will start the match on the bench.

Warriors | 15 Harri Doel, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Oli Morris, 12 Will Butler, 11 Jack Johnson, 10 Billy Searle (CC), 9 Gareth Simpson, 1 Marc Thomas, 2 Niall Annett (CC), 3 Jay Tyack, 4 Andrew Kitchener, 5 Justin Clegg, 6 Joe Batley, 7 Tom Dodd, 8 Matt Kvesic.

Replacements | 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Kai Owen, 18 Joe Morris, 19 Anton Bresler, 20, Sam Lewis, 21 Ollie Wynn, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Tom Howe.