MIKE Ruddock believes Montpellier will buck the trend of French sides being notoriously poor on their travels in Euro-pean competitions.

The Top 14 outfit visit Sixways tonight for Warriors’ opening game of the Amlin Challenge Cup (7.45) and the Worcester director of rugby is expecting a testing encounter.

Montpellier are struggling second-from-bottom in the French league, but the Welshman is still preparing his team for a physical contest.

He said: “The fact that some of the teams that would have been in the Heineken Cup now drop into this competition at the latter stages gives this tournament more credibility and makes it even more difficult to win.

“We played Montpellier two years ago at Sixways and they defied all the background of earlier in the season when they were keeping the ball quite tight. Suddenly, they were moving the ball around, asked an awful lot of questions, and played some fantastic rugby on the day.

“We eventually won but it was a great game and we really had to work hard in attack and defence to come through that test. I’m expecting the same again tonight.”

However, Ruddock has still opted to rest up several key players, namely Sammy Tuitupou, Alex Grove and Greg Raw-linson.

New Zealander Rico Gear and Dale Rasmussen are paired together in the centres, while scrum-half Jonny Arr is given his first start of the season.

A new look front row will give Shaun Ruwers a first start of the campaign with Aleki Lutui and Matt Mullan restored to the starting line-up, while locks Graham Kitchener and Will Bowley are paired in the second row.

Tickets are still available from the Warriors box office at warriors.co.uk or by calling 01905-454183.

Warriors: Latham; Garvey, Gear, Rasmussen, Ben Mullan, Lutui, Ruwers, Bowley, Kitchener, Wood, Sanderson, Talei. Replacements: Black, Page, Taumoepeau, Gillies, Cox, Powell, Carlisle, King.

Meanwhile, Saracens are set to announce today they have switched their Guinness Premiership clash with Warriors from Vicarage Road to Wembley Stadium.

The clash is now likely to be moved to the home of English football and will take place on Saturday, February 13, rather than Sunday, February 14.