WORCESTER Rugby Club will make a decision on skipper Kingsley Jones' fitness today as the National One leaders prepare to travel to Bedford Blues on Saturday.
Jones has missed the last two games after tearing his hamstring during training and will sprint today for the first time in a bid to prove his fitness.
If he comes through the test, Jones will lead out the side at Goldington Road as Worcester look to continue their table-topping form.
The Sixways club lead the table by five points from Rotherham going into the match and for coach John Brain, they face a real test of their championship credentials.
"You have to say that Bedford away is one of the most difficult games of the season," he said. "It is never easy going there because the pitch is normally quite heavy and they have a very good following who get behind their team.
"They are also a good side who haven't lost many games this season. In many of those matches they have scored freely so we are well aware of the threat they possess. Hopefully though, their record this season suggests that they may not be the best defensive outfit in the world."
Brain has named an unchanged squad from the one which faced Bracknell on Sunday. The only change will be the addition of Jones, if fit, with either a lock or a prop dropping out.
Craig Chalmers (hamstring) and Elton Moncrieff (calf) are still not deemed ready for action, but may feature in the RFU Senior Cup fifth round tie with Rotherham a week on Saturday. Alistair Murdoch is fit again but has been denied a playing return to his former club.
"Alistair is fine but we did not think that this game would be the right one in which to come back from injury," added Brain.
"Craig and Elton are both training and could have played at a push, but we are not desperate to rush them back because we have strength in depth."
Scott Barrow, however, was ruled out of the squad with a shoulder problem.
The game will see a return to old haunts for a number of Worcester players. Ben Hinshelwood and Joe Ross both played at Bedford last season, while Dan Zaltzman, Dave Sims and Tony Yapp have also had spells at Goldington Road.
Worcester: Hinshelwood; Garrard, Roke, Yates, Stanley, Vile, Smith; Windo, Ross, Moreno, Zaltzman, Morgan, Clarke, Jones, Jenner. Pellow, Yapp, Hall, Carter, Evans, Davis, Sims, Lyman.
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