Gloucester v Wasps - Teams

Gloucester have been boosted by the news that dynamic flanker Akapusi Qera is fit to return to their squad ahead of Saturday's Guinness Premiership clash with champions Wasps.

The Fijian international has missed the whole of the campaign thus far after rupturing cruciate ligaments on Test duty.

Qera was one of the hits of last term, scoring eight tries in 22 appearances and his return to fitness could not come at a better time for the Cherry and Whites with the climax to the season on the horizon.

Gloucester chief Dean Ryan has made three changes to the side that lost against Leicester last weekend with Andy Hazell returning in the number seven shirt.

In the second row, Will James is fit again after a leg injury and is preferred to Adam Eustace and takes his place alongside Alex Brown, while Anthony Allen is also fit again and will slot back into the centres with Henry Trinder dropping out.

Ryan is expecting a tough encounter against Wasps and feels the Londoners' need for victories makes them a more dangerous proposition.

"Wasps will know they probably haven't got that many more chances to lose games if they want to compete in the play-offs but that probably makes them even more dangerous opponents," he stated.

"They have been winning games over the recent weeks and months and have made an art-form of producing results when it really matters - we are under no illusions about that."

Two changes for Wasps

Wasps make two changes for the trip to Kingsholm, with Richard Birkett and Eoin Reddan coming into the side that beat London Irish last weekend.

Birkett, who will make his 199th club appearance on Saturday, gets the nod after Simon Shaw's England call, while Reddan is in at scrum-half with Mark Robinson dropping to the substitutes.

Simpson's addition to the bench is one of four changes among the replacements as Charlie Beech, Mark Odejobi and new signing Marty Veale are also named.

"We need to keep performing the way we have and build on our game match by match," director of rugby, Ian McGeechan commented.

Gloucester: 15 Olly Morgan, 14 Iain Balshaw, 13 Anthony Allen, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 Charlie Sharples, 10 Carlos Spencer, 9 Rory Lawson, 8 Gareth Delve (capt), 7 Andy Hazell, 6 Luke Narraway, 5 Alex Brown, 4 Will James, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Olivier Azam, 1 Nick Wood
Replacements: 16 Andy Titterrell, 17 Jack Forster, 18 Adam Eustace, 19 Akapusi Qera, 20 Ryan Lamb, 21 Matthew Watkins, 22 Mark Foster

Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen, 14 Lachlan Mitchell, 13 Dominic Waldouck, 12 Josh Lewsey, 11 Tom Voyce, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 John Hart, 7 Tom Rees, 6 Serge Betsen (capt), 5 George Skivington, 4 Richard Birkett, 3 Pat Barnard, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Tim Payne
Replacements: 16 Joe Ward, 17 Charlie Beech, 18 Marty Veale, 19 Dan Leo, 20 Joe Simpson, 21 Dave Walder, 22 Mark Odejobi.