ALCESTER centre Ed Gough has been named in the Worcestershire & Herefordshire starting XV to start the defence of the Three Counties Championship on Wednesday (February 6).
Gough will wear the No 13 shirt against Shropshire at Shrewsbury (8pm).
There are six newcomers in the starting line-up and four more on the bench for W&H who are seeking a fourth consecutive title in the triangular competition.
Old Halesonians Joel Keenan, Bromsgrove props Cam Simpson and Oli Dunkley, Bredon Star lock Ellis Hill, Old Halesonians blindside Callum Bradbury and Bromsgrove openside flanker Cam McCann will all make their county debuts off the bench.
Bredon Star’s Alex Antonelli and Thomas Mitchell, Joe Nicklin (Kidderminster Carolians) and Tom Hinks (Bromsgrove) are the potential debutants among the replacements.
Worcestershire & Herefordshire will play Greater Birmingham in the final group match at Stourbridge on February 20.
The top two teams in the group will meet in the final at Telford Hornets on March 13.
Worcestershire & Herefordshire: 15 Joel Keenan (Old Halesonians); 14 Joshua Sands (Evesham), 13 Ed Gough (Alcester), 12 Ben King (Malvern), 11 Ash White (Pershore); 10 Tomos Williams (Evesham), 9 David Oliver (Pershore); 1 1. Cam Simpson (Bromsgrove), 2 Joey Roberts (Droitwich), 3 Oli Dunkley (Bromsgrove), 4 Russ Brown (Droitwich), 5 Ellis Hill (Bredon Star), 6 Callum Bradbury (Old Halesonians), 7 Cam McCann (Bromsgrove), 8 Max Macfarlane (Upton-on-Severn – captain).
Replacements: 16 Alex Antonelli (Bredon Star), 17 Joe Nicklin (Kidderminster Carolians), 18 James Shewell (Droitwich), 19 Tom Hinks (Bromsgrove), 20 Bryn Williams (Bromsgrove), 21 Thomas Mitchell (Bredon Star), 22 AN Other
