Championship play-offs: Jonny Arr suspension leaves Worcester short

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Jonny ArrImage source, PA
Image caption,

Jonny Arr was one of three Worcester Warriors players yellow carded against London Scottish

Worcester Warriors are without their two senior scrum-halves for Friday night's Championship semi-final second leg against London Scottish.

Jonny Arr has picked up a three-week ban for a tip tackle in Saturday's first leg, which Warriors won 27-22.

And, with Charlie Mulchrone sidelined, having gone over on his ankle, boss Dean Ryan has turned to JB Bruzulier.

Warriors will have 17-year-old schoolboy Jamie Shillcock on the bench for the visit of Scottish to Sixways.

If England Under-19 Academies player Shillcock, from Warwick School, has to come on, he will become the youngest player to play in a Championship play-off match, at 17 years and 280 days old.

Shillcock was informed of his inclusion during a lesson by Warwick School director of rugby Mark Nasey. "I was sitting in the classroom when Mr Nasey came to see me," he said. "He told me Warriors had called me in to train with the squad ahead of Friday's match."

Sixways chosen for Gloucester play-off game

Sixways has been chosen as the venue to stage the final play-off match in the European Champions Cup on Sunday, 31 May, should Gloucester make it that far. Gloucester's European Challenge Cup final win over Edinburgh on Friday night means they now face two play-off matches to make it into next season's European Champions Cup. The first will take place at Kingsholm against the best-placed club not already qualified from the Pro12. If Gloucester win, they would then proceed to a second play-off game at Sixways, against the seventh-placed club from France's Top 14, which is still being realistically contested by as many as seven clubs.

Bruzulier has not started a league game this season, but did captain Warriors' British & Irish Cup winning team.

Arr pleaded guilty to the charge at Wednesday night's disciplinary panel in Coventry and the ban rules him out for the rest of the season.

He is not free to play again until 28 May, the day after the Championship play-off final second leg, should the Warriors make it through.

Arr was only on the pitch on Saturday because of Mulchrone's 14th-minute departure.

After going over on his ankle, scans have now revealed a broken bone in his foot, which will also keep him sidelined should Warriors make it to the two-leg final.

In total, Ryan has made seven changes as Warriors protect their five-point cushion from Saturday's first leg in Richmond.

Winger Dean Hammond is poised for his first Championship appearance since scoring in February's win over Rotherham, while there are five changes in the pack.

Val Rapava Ruskin and Argentina captain Gus Creevy both return to the front row, while locks Jonathan Thomas, suspended for the first leg, and James Percival are recalled, Mike Williams switches to the back row and recent signing Sam Lewis comes in at open-side flanker.

Warriors: Howard; Hammond, Grove, Mills, Vuna; Lamb, Bruzulier; Rapava Ruskin, Creevy, Schonert, Percival, Thomas, Mike Williams, Lewis, van Velze (capt).

Replacements: Annett, Fainga'anuku, Rees, Cox, Shillcock, Fatiaki, Biggs.

London Scottish: Lydon; Matt Williams, Moffat, Gidlow, Doneghan; Newton, Stevenson; Lilley, Kwasnicki, Prescott, Phillips, Thomas Brown, Gillanders, Best, Bright (capt).

Replacements: Hallam, Stephenson, Rae, Chisholm, Walker, Heeks, Millar.

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