DIRECTOR of rugby Alan Solomons leapt to the defence of dropped Worcester Warriors wing Ed Fidow after he missed eight tackles in his first two matches.

Fidow made his long-awaited Warriors debut in the Gallagher Premiership win at Harlequins before featuring in the European Challenge Cup loss at Castres two weeks later.

But the Samoa international was left out of the squad that beat Sale Sharks last weekend and is likely to miss Saturday’s home clash with Dragons (3pm).

Following his arrival from the Rugby World Cup, Fidow was given extra time to adapt to the club’s defensive systems.

But the 26-year-old has missed more tackles than he has made so far, landing five of his nine attempted hits at Quins and only two of his six at Castres.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with his tackling,” Solomons said.

“He has got to get used to the system and clearly that takes time.

“He is adapting to life but these things always take time. One has just got to be patient with it. But there is strong competition.”

Asked why Fidow was not selected to face Sharks, Solomons added: “That was a selection decision and Perry Humphreys actually had a very good game.

“Ed is a very good player and so is Tommy Howe.

“Unfortunately we can only pick 23 for any given weekend but I am very happy with the strength in depth within the squad.

“The application and commitment of the players is excellent so it is all first class.

“It just makes my job quite difficult.”

Asked whether Fidow could make his first outing at Sixways this weekend, Solomons added: “We will see. We have still got some decisions to make.”

Dragons are five points clear of Warriors at the top of European Challenge Cup Pool One and expected to field their Wales World Cup stars including hooker Elliot Dee and back rower Aaron Wainwright.

But Solomons is likely to ring the changes after the 20-13 win over Sale and give his support cast the chance to shine again.

“We have got to look at rotation for this weekend,” Solomons said.

“We have come off the back of a really tough game where there are a lot of bumps and bruises.

“It is really good if we are able to rotate as it gives lads opportunities to play, especially at Sixways.”

Warriors play host to Dragons, managed by ex-Worcester boss Dean Ryan, before travelling to Rodney Parade to face the Welsh outfit the following Friday (8pm).

“Dragons are tough wherever they play,” Solomons added.

“They are a gritty outfit with some good players. It will be a tough fixture for the lads that are playing.

“There is always a situation where there are back-to-back matches so we are used to that in Europe.

“It is important that we play well in front of our home crowd.”