SCOTT Barrow is set for his first Worcester Rugby Club start of the season at Otley on Saturday.

The former St Helens Rugby League star has not figured in coach John Brain's plans so far in this campaign but wins a place for the National One clash in Yorkshire.

Barrow comes in after centre Duncan Roke was called up to the National Divisions team to play Australia 'A' at Welford Road on Sunday.

The former Henley man will join up with the rest of the squad, containing fellow Sixways player Dave Sims, tomorrow for training.

The selection, however, put Roke in an impossible situation this week. After making an impressive league debut for Worcester during their 39-8 win at Wakefield on Saturday, he was understandably anxious to keep his place.

The call-up, though, left him with little choice but to join up with the National Divisions squad, especially with concerns over sanctions being brought against Worcester should he decide to play at Otley.

"I was thrilled and honoured to be selected to play against the world champions," he said. "At the same time, though, it put me in a bad situation where my employer now cannot have my services for an important league match.

"It has been a difficult decision because I obviously wanted to keep my first team place at Worcester."

His club, in the end, made the decision for him with lingering worries over possible fines or docked points if Roke decided to play at Otley instead of representing the league.

"We didn't want any possibility of conflict," said Brain. "We agreed to release Duncan, we felt that was the best thing to do because we did not want bad feeling with the RFU or other league clubs."

And with Roke absent, it gives Barrow the chance to re-establish himself as a key figure in Worcester's first choice line-up.

The 21-year-old made a stunning impact at Sixways last year, but has been dogged by injury so far this season.

"Scott now has an opportunity," added Brain. "He has been frustrated this season because he hasn't been more involved in the first team.

"However, he now has a chance and I hope he takes it and impresses at Otley."

Lock Lee Soper is the only other change to the squad which travelled to Wakefield. The former Harlequins man is named as a replacement for the absent Sims. Sateki Tuipulotu is again left out of the squad.

Worcester: Hinshelwood; Garrard, Barrow, Yates, Stanley, Chalmers, Smith; Windo, Ross, Moreno, Zaltzman, Morgan, Clarke, Jones, Jenner. Replacements: Pellow, Yapp, Hall, Evans, Soper, Davis, Lyman.