Warriors try-machine with 65% strike rate to make season debut

Worcester Warriors wing Tom Howe will make his first Gallagher Premiership appearance of the season against London Irish in a Sixways sell-out today.

Howe scored a hat-trick of tries against Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership Rugby Cup in October and he crossed again in the European Challenge Cup against Dragons two weeks ago to take his Warriors’ career try tally to 21 in 32 appearances.

That equates to a try rate of 65 per cent, or one try every 1.5 games.

Howe gets his seasonal Premiership debut because Melani Nanai took a knock to a shoulder in last week’s match against Gloucester at Kingsholm.

Born in Milton Keynes, Howe cut his teeth at Beaconsfield RFC and enjoyed loan spells at Championship side Jersey Reds and also with Coventry Rugby in National League One in 2017/18.

The inclusion of Howe is the only change Worcester Warriors Director of Rugby Alan Solomons has made to the starting XV.

There are two changes to the bench with Isaac Miller coming into the squad as replacement hooker and Richard Palframan as replacement tighthead prop.

Hooker Matt Moulds, who captained Warriors for the first time at Gloucester, will have the honour of leading out the side for a match that has attracted a full house for the club’s Christmas fixture.

Worcester Warriors:

15 Chris Pennell

14 Perry Humphreys

13 Ashley Beck

12 Ryan Mills

11 Tom Howe

10 Duncan Weir

9 Francois Hougaard

1 Callum Black

2 Matt Moulds (C)

3 Nick Schonert

4 Anton Bresler

5 Graham Kitchener

6 Ted Hill

7 Sam Lewis

8 Cornell Du Preez

Replacements

16 Isaac Miller

17 Ryan Bower

18 Richard Palframan

19 Michael Fatialofa

20 GJ Van Velze

21 Michael Heaney

22 Jono Lance

23 Jamie Shillcock

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