Kier Henderson will make his league debut for Bournville in Saturday’s National Two West match against leader Loughborough Students at Avery Fields (2.30pm).
Henderson, a summer recruit from Sutton Coldfield, will start on the blindside flank in place of Louis Mifsud who is on international duty with Malta against Cyprus in the Rugby Europe Conference.
Henderson featured in Bournville’s programme of pre-season matches and has impressed for the Blues in two of their comfortable victories in Counties Three Midlands West (South) in recent weeks.
He is one of five changes to the side beaten 27-20 at Taunton last week. Joe Nellany and Joe Jenkins will form a new centre pairing with Nellany set for his first start since September 2017 when he began a Midlands Premier match at Birmingham & Solihull at full-back.
Wing Alex Evans comes into the side for Nathan Decalmer with Ben O’Sullivan called up to partner captain Ben Meakin in the second row.
On the bench, prop Clarkson McLeod is included in the matchday squad for a league game for the first time this season having recovered from the concussion injury that he sustained in the pre-season match against Bridgend Ravens.
Although the midweek BUCS Super Rugby competition usually takes priority for Loughborough their less experienced Saturday side will arrive at Avery Fields having banked four consecutive bonus points win this season, the most recent of them a 49-31 home success against a strong Camborne side last Saturday.
League meetings between Bournville and the Students have been close-fought affairs over the last three seasons with Bournville’s 44-38 victory at Avery Fields earlier this year being the biggest winning margin in the six league meetings.
Bournville have won two and drawn one of those matches – all at Avery Fields – with Loughborough winning three and shading the points aggregate across the six matches 189-187.
Bournville | 15 Owen Williams; 14 Dan Rundle, 13 Joe Jenkins, 12 Joe Nellany, 11 Alex Evans; 10 James Mann, 9 Freddie Morgan; 1 James Burgoyne, 2 James Weaver, 3 Stef Thorp, 4 Ben O’Sullivan, 5 Ben Meakin (C), 6 Kier Henderson, 7 Chris Idehen, 8 Jasper Smith.
Replacements | 16 Jake Bailey, 17 Clarkson McLeod, 18 Jono Fanning, 19 Jacob Fewtrell, 20 Rob Knox.