Croft and Gear set to start at Welford Road

New Zealand international Rico Gear will make his first start of the new season this weekend as the Worcester Warriors travel to take on a Leicester Tigers side featuring Lions star Tom Croft.

The Warriors will also hand prop Adam Black, signed in the summer from the Dragons, his first start of the campaign.

Gear replaces Marcel Garvey on the wing while Director of Rugby Mike Ruddock rotates the front row and brings in Black and hooker Chris Fortey, with Matt Mullan and Aleki Lutui among the replacements.

Warriors also welcome back Samoan centre Dale Rasmussen who is named on the bench after recovering from a knee injury.

"I was very impressed with the Leicester game last week, they looked very strong," Ruddock said.

"Tigers have a few guys out injured, but even so have such strength in depth. They will be a tough team to breakdown, but that is what we have to do and we are confident we can give it our best shot.

"A lot was made of the fact they hadn't scored a try in their opening few games. But they scored a fantastic try through my old friend Mefin Davies who popped up on the wing."

Leicester, welcoming Croft to the side, have also been able to start centre Dan Hipkiss for the first time this season.

Head coach Richard Cockerill also brings Boris Stankovich into the front row and hands a Guinness Premiership debut to hooker Joe Duffey, a summer signing from Nottingham.

Scrumhalf James Grindal starts his first game back at Welford Road since his summer return to Tigers after seven seasons with Newcastle Falcons.

After three away games in the opening month of the season, Tigers are back on home soil and Cockerill said: "We’ve taken points from each of our first four games and that is a solid start. But there is no time to sit back, we have to keep improving and working on our game.

"This is a crunch time of the season with a tough run of Guinness Premiership fixtures either side of our opening two games in the Heineken Cup."

Club captain Geordan Murphy, Richard Blaze and Aaron Mauger are ruled out this Saturday after playing in the draw at Bath Rugby last weekend.

"We've had to make a couple of changes to the team again this week which is not ideal, but the players have shown an excellent attitude and they all want to build on results and performances so far," added Cockerill.

"Mefin Davies has done an excellent job for us in the last two weeks but Joe Duffey is given his opportunity this weekend. He has been with us since the summer, now he has his chance of a starting place and there is no better place than Welford Road to make an impact."

Toby Flood, Sam Vesty, Alesana Tuilagi and Dan Cole have yet to play this season as they continue their recovery from injury, while George Chuter, Ben Woods and Harry Ellis are unavailable due to injury this weekend.

Worcester have beaten Leicester twice before in 14 previous encounters in all competitions and have lost on all eight previous visits to Welford Road since 1895.

Leicester Tigers are unbeaten in their last three games in the Guinness Premiership, and have won their last 16 matches at Welford Road in all competitions since a Wasps victory there in the Premiership on 1 October 2008.

All of Worcester Warriors' four games in the Guinness Premiership this season have gone with home field advantage, whilst Worcester’s only away win since last November was 13-6 at Gloucester on 21 April.

The Teams

Leicester Tigers: 15 Scott Hamilton, 14 Matt Smith, 13 Dan Hipkiss, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Johne Murphy, 10 Jeremy Staunton, 9 James Grindal, 8 Jordan Crane, 7 Lewis Moody, 6 Tom Croft, 5 Ben Kay, 4 Louis Deacon (captain), 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Joe Duffey, 1 Boris Stankovich
Replacements: 16 Mefin Davies, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Julian White, 19 Geoff Parling, 20 Craig Newby, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Lucas Amorosino

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Willie Walker, 9 Ryan Powell, 8 Netani Talei, 7 Pat Sanderson (captain), 6 Tom Wood, 5 Craig Gillies, 4 Greg Rawlinson, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 2 Chris Fortey, 1 Adam Black
Replacements: 16 Matt Mullan, 17 Aleki Lutui, 18 Shaun Ruwers, 19 Graham Kitchener, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Jonny Arr, 22 Joe Carlisle, 23 Dale Rasmussen

Date: Saturday 03 October
Venue: Welford Road
Time: 15.00 (14.00 GMT)
Referee: Chris White (164th Premiership game)