Sixways forgotten man Will Bowley is still very much part of rugby director Mike Ruddock’s thinking, despite not featuring in a match day 23 this season.

Warriors chief Ruddock insists the 25-year-old second row, who was a regular fixture in the first XV last season, is not out of favour and will get his chance as the campaign progresses.

Last term, academy product Bowley racked up an impressive total of 22 appearances for the Warriors, but so far this year the 6ft 5ins lock has had to make do with run outs for the second string in the Guinness ‘A’ League.

However, Ruddock has admitted the Kettering-born forward will again not be involved against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road today, but added he is set to feature in Thursday’s European Challenge Cup clash with Montpellier at Sixways.

He said: “Will is not playing today, but there’s every chance he could be in contention for the European game against Montpellier on Thursday.

“Both him and Graham Kitchener could be involved as the front five will again take a lot of contacts at Leicester.

“If Will and Graham get the chance on Thursday, they will be keen to show that they shouldn’t have been forgotten about in the first five league games and that gives us healthy competition.

“Will has not gone backwards at all. I had to make a call going into the Northampton game as to which combinations would serve us best in the first four or five matches and I was keen for continuity in those games.

“Will is not out of my thinking at the moment — it is a very long season and I’ve said to my players that it is only the first few weeks so far.

“Some people will be disappointed not to be in the team but, having said that, it is a winning team at the moment, so it is very difficult to make changes when a lot of guys have just delivered for you.

“I don’t think anyone is out of my thinking at the moment — so far this season I have just had to make some very difficult calls based on how I think the games will go as well as the slight changes in the laws.

“If I’m honest, I think I’ve got those calls right, but we’ll have to see how that pans out over the first few months of the season. My gut feeling, though, is that I will probably look for quite a bit of continuity.”