WORCESTER Rugby Club have kept faith with the old guard as they step up their pre-season programme with Sunday's match against Bridgend.

So far this summer Sixways has seen 13 new arrivals -- but just five of them figure in the starting line-up this weekend.

Stand-off Tony Yapp is the only new face in the backs, while prop Tony Windo, hooker, James Richards, lock Dave Sims and flanker Nathan Carter will be among the forwards.

Sunday's team is the first full line-up announced by director of rugby Les Cusworth and centre Ali McLaughlin said the new faces are being integrated slowly.

"The new players have fitted in quite nicely but the players already here are being given the chance to re-establish themselves," said McLaughlin, one of the old guard included in the starting line-up.

"It's a big game and a big opportunity for players to get out there and take their chance.

"You can't bring in a completely new team straight away. They have to be brought in slowly while giving the players who performed well last season a chance to do it again.

"Last season we missed out on promotion but it's easy to forget that we've gone up seven times in nine years and to finish third in our first season in the Second Division was a success."

McLaughlin's selection means he could come face to face with Worcester old boy John Devereux who moved to Bridgend in the summer.

"I'm looking forward to facing him as he kept me out of the side for a few weeks last season and it will interesting to see what happens," he added.

Bruce Fenley has been named captain despite standing down as club skipper at the end of last season.

The former Gloucester and Moseley scrum-half said no formal decision has been made on the captaincy for next season and that he is filling in.

"It's just for this game so don't read too much into it," he said.

"There has been no decision made on who is going to be skipper as the squad is still settling down and everybody is to get a chance on the pitch.

"I'm skipper on Sunday. It's easy for me to do it at this stage of the season -- Chris Raymond did it for the last game."

Sunday also sees the continued rehabilitation of centre Rich Tomlinson who has not played in a competitive match since breaking his leg against Rugby Lions last October.

Tomlinson has been named as a replacement alongside stand-off James Lofthouse and one of the club's new signings from Bedford, James Cockle.

Worcester: Myler, Holford, Hughes, McLaughlin, Baxter, Yapp, Fenley (capt), Windo, Richards, Lyman, Denhardt, Sims, Orgee, Carter, Jenner.

Replacements: Harvey, Lofthouse, Tomlinson, Ball, Linnett, Raymond, Cockle.