Amlin Challenge Cup: Rovigo v Worcester at Stadio Mario Battaglini
Worcester need a bonus-point win to keep their hopes of winning Pool 2 alive when they travel to Italy to face Rovigo.
Last Updated: 12/01/13 1:52pm
Worcester and Perpignan are tied at the top of the group at the moment, but should it stay that way then the French side will finish top on the tie-breaking procedure, so the Aviva Premiership team need to finish their campaign with two bonus point wins.
The first part of their task comes at the Stadio Mario Battaglini when they face a Rovigo side that has lost 26 European games in a row, including a record 90-3 hammering in their last game against Worcester.
That was also a record win for the Warriors, who have won seven of their last nine Amlin Challenge Cup games and averaged 43 points a game.
Warriors boss Richard Hill will again give some of his lesser lights the chance to shine in the game, but he knows a bonus-point victory is a must as the go for top spot.
Hill knows his team will still need Perpignan to slip up at some stage, but is determined for his side to at least complete their side of the bargain first.
"It will give an opportunity to those that have been sat on the sidelines and are desperate to have a go," said Hill. "There are some very good players in there and it will be their turn over the next few weeks.
"However, we are going to have to hope that Bizkaia Gernika or Rovigo play well enough against Perpignan to deny them a try bonus point.
"It's not in our hands now. If Perpignan beat the other teams with a try bonus point then they will go through.
"We have just got to look after ourselves in our two remaining games, make sure we get the bonus point and do all we can do to get the maximum 10 points and see where we end up."
Femi-CZ VEA Rovigo:
15 Stefan Basson, 14 Alberto Zorzi, 13 Francesco Menon, 12 Joe Van Niekerk, 11 Andrea Bacchetti, 10 Rhys Lenarduzzi, 9 Michele Zanirato; 1 Nicola Quaglio, 2 Luke Mahoney, 3 Alessio Ceglie, 4 Matteo Ferro, 5 Jean-François Montauriol, 6 Aaron Persico, 7 Younes Anouer, 8 Stefan Ciochina, 16 Corrado Gaeta, 17 Otis Lombardi, 19 Daniele Tumiati, 20 Alisson Gobbo, 21
Guido Calabrese, 22 Davide Duca, 23 Matteo Maran
Worcester Warriors
15 Errie Claassens 14 Nikki Walker 13 Jon Clarke 12 Andy Short 11 Josh Drauniniu 10 Danny Gray 9 Jonny Arr 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ollie Hayes 3 Rob O'Donnell 4 Dean Schofield 5 Craig Gillies 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Blair Cowan 16 Aleki Lutui 17 James Currie 18 John Andress 19 James Percival 20 Neil Best 21 Ollie Frost 22 Max Stelling 23 Ben Howard