ANDY Keast will travel to Northampton tonight for his first match with Worcester Rugby Club.

The former British Lions coach, who joined the Sixways club last week, will be a keen spectator as the Warriors take on the Saints at Franklins Gardens (7pm).

The 39-year-old, who takes over responsibility for the backs after Steve Townend's departure, watched the first team train on Friday for the first time but admitted he was looking forward to full involvement.

"All I've seen so far is training and video footage so it will be nice to watch them play a proper match," he said.

"There are a number of players on show tonight that will obviously want to impress not just because there is a new coach, but also because we have a big game at Birmingham on Saturday."

Among those players champing at the bit for a recall to the first team are Elton Moncrief, Steven Vile, Duncan Roke and Winston Stanley who are all pencilled in for action tonight.

Lock Dave Sims will skipper the side while there is also a place for Sixways' forgotten man Dave Fryday. The Australian was an ever-present last season under coach Adrian Skeggs, but has yet to feature in the first team this season after the influx of top quality forwards.

Neil Lyman, Tony Windo and Chris Hall will also be hoping to impress coaches Keast and John Brain, while loan ranger Scott Barrow is also given licence to thrill after impressive displays for Orrell in National Two.

Trialist Simon Lewis will get another chance to show his worth and Greg Meredith continues his comeback from a severe knee injury.

With Worcester's National One game at Manchester falling victim to the weather on Saturday, this match is rated as '90 per cent likely' to go ahead after a rise in temperatures. And for Keast, the game will give him an early chance to shape his thinking for the second half of the season.

"I'm certainly looking forward to the match and starting my first week here. We have a lot of quality players at Worcester and I'm sure they will be looking to impress," he added.

Forwards: Collins, Smith, Chesham, Matthews, Knight, Fryday, Nias, Mason, Sims, Hughes, Lyman, Hall, Windo.

Backs: Pellow, Moncrief, Barrow, Meredith, Yapp, Vile, Lewis, Roke, Trueman, Stanley.