WITH Worcester Warriors recently beginning their pre-season programme, thoughts start to switch to who will be in that first game against London Irish at Sixways on Saturday September 18.

Warriors have added a total of 14 new players to the squad for next season including the British and Irish Lions duo Rory Sutherland and Duhan van der Merwe as well as experienced Premiership players Willi Heinz, Matt Garvey and Owen Williams.

Young guys have also been added; Harri Doel and Jack Johnson to name two but the recruitment period has also involved extending existing contracts.

Worcester now have options.

Who plays fly-half now Owen Williams has signed? Fin Smith was a revelation at the end of last season but Billy Searle looked to be the first choice when Duncan Weir was injured.

Warriors now have multiple choices at scrum-half with Gareth Simpson being joined by Will Chudley and Willi Heinz.

Six wingers, seven back-rows, four tighthead props; there is finally some strength in depth forming and it will definitely give head coach Jonathan Thomas plenty to think about.

So who starts? Let's take a look at what the team could look like for the 2021/22 campaign.

Potential first-choice: 1. Rory Sutherland, 2. Scott Baldwin, 3. Christian Judge, 4. Andrew Kitchener, 5. Matt Garvey, 6. Ted Hill, 7. Sam Lewis, 8. Matt Kvesic; 9. Willi Heinz, 10. Billy Searle, 11. Duhan van der Merwe, 12. Francois Venter, 13. Ollie Lawrence, 14. Melani Nanai, 15. Jamie Shillcock.

Subs: Niall Annett, Ethan Waller, Marc Thomas, Graham Kitchener, Sione Vailanu, Will Chudley, Owen Williams, Chris Ashton.

The likes of van der Merwe, Sutherland and Lawrence would be out through November (Ted Hill potentially also) during the autumn internationals and then again through February and March because of the Six Nations.

So in those periods, we could be looking at something more like this:

1. Ethan Waller, 2. Scott Baldwin, 3. Christian Judge, 4. Andrew Kitchener, 5. Matt Garvey, 6. Matt Kvesic, 7. Sam Lewis, 8. Sione Vailanu; 9. Willi Heinz, 10. Billy Searle, 11. Chris Ashton, 12. Owen Williams, 13. Ashley Beck, 14. Melani Nanai, 15. Jamie Shillcock.

Subs: Niall Annett, Marc Thomas, Jack Owlett, Justin Clegg, Tom Dodd, Will Chudley, Fin Smith, Francois Venter.

Then you also have the European games and cup fixtures where normally Worcester take those chances to rotate ad you would expect the younger guys to be given more time to gain valuable experience.