ROOKIE fly-half Tiff Eden has been recalled to play for Worcester Warriors in tonight’s British and Irish Cup semifinal against holders Leinster ‘A’ at Sixways (7.45pm).

The 20-year-old had been on loan at Championship rivals Nottingham after injury and his last first-team appearance for Worcester was against Moseley at the end of November.

Academy youngster Perry Humphreys is at full-back with experienced duo Sam Smith and Tom Biggs on the wings.

With a place in the final at stake, head coach Carl Hogg has made 14 changes to the Warriors starting 15 who beat Plymouth Albion 29-8 in the Championship last weekend.

Hogg said: “Leinster are a very inventive side who play with a lot of ambition and pose a threat all over the field.

“We have kept a similar group to the one who played in the earlier rounds of the competition — they deserve an opportunity to play in a semi-final.

“I think this is a team which has an identity. This is a team who got to the final of the A-team league and was able to beat Munster home and away.

“We are starting to ramp up the intensity in training so I am sure they will be in fine fettle.”

Ravai Fatiaki links up with Alex Grove in the centre with Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier captaining the side at scrumhalf.

In the pack, Ofa Fainga’anuku, Ben Sowrey and Joe Rees start in the front row with the experience of James Percival and Dan Sanderson behind them.

Summer signing Matt Cox makes his first start since the beginning of December due to injury with Mat Gilbert and England Sevens star Richard de Carpentier in the back row.

Warriors have twice beaten Munster ‘A’ in the competition but Hogg expects a different challenge from the Dubliners.

“Leinster are a good senior side, have a good academy and are bringing through lots of talent on a regular basis,” said Hogg.

“They have been well coached through Joe Schmidt and now Matt O’Connor has taken over the reins.

“Munster tend to be a bit more attritional and are field position-based, while Leinster play with a lot more flair and a lot more ambition.

“Leinster will look to take snap-shot chances and if it’s on they will go, so we need to be very alert.”

Leinster have won the competition for the past two seasons and Luke McGrath will captain the side from scrum-half.

New Zealand-born former rugby league star Ben Te’o will start his second game for the ‘A’ team.

His first appearance for Leinster was in a British and Irish Cup pool match at Carmarthen Quins in October last year.

Hogg said: “The match is all about going out, performing and winning a semi-final, which is slightly different to the challenge over the last six or seven months.

“We need to make sure we get the right balance in our approach and don’t overexpose ourselves.”

Extra-time will be required if the scores are level after 80 minutes.

Two periods of 10 minutes will be played and, if the scores remain tied after extra-time, the club with the most tries in the match will progress to the final.

If the number of tries are equal, Leinster, as the away club, will progress to the final.

Follow our live text coverage tonight at worcesternews.co.uk/sport/wrfc

 

Warriors: Humphreys; Smith, Grove, Fatiaki, Biggs; Eden, Bruzulier; Fainga’anuku, Sowrey, Rees, Percival, Sanderson, Cox, Gilbert, De Carpentier.

Replacements: George, Bower, Daniels, Taylor, Arr, Symons, Hammond.

Leinster ‘A’: Kelleher; Coghlan Murray, Te’o, Reid, M McGrath; Marsh, L McGrath; Dooley, Dundon, Burke-Flynn, Molony, Denton, Marshall, Leavy, Timmins. Replacements: Byrne, Hirst, Beirne, Coghlan, Rock, Crosbie, O’Shea.