Former Gloucester hooker Darren Dawidiuk has joined Bristol Bears on a short-term trial and is set to start for the club in a friendly against Championship side Ealing Trailfinders on Saturday night.
Bears director of rugby Pat Lam is also set to get a first look at new star signing Siva Naulago who has been named on the bench for the friendly clash at Bristol's High Performance Centre.
Fijian Winger Naulago only trained with the squad for the first time on Thursday having arrived from Super League side Hull FC this week.
Bears ‘A’ include fifteen Academy graduates in the matchday squad, while prop Jake Armstrong makes his first start in a Bears jersey since a return from long-term injury.
Dawidiuk, 33, has played for the Cherry and Whites, Northampton Saints, London Irish, Cornish Pirates and Coventry and looks to have been given an opportunity at the Bears with first choice hooker Harry Thacker out with a neck injury until the New Year.
The Bears also have Bryan Byrne, Will Capon and George Kloska as options in the specialist position.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said: "We are concious we have a squad of 40 players, plus 12 academy guys and there are lot of guys who have done a lot of training with no rugby, for obvious reasons.
"Ealing got in touch and were keen to organise a couple of games and we said 'perfect,' because so many guys train, train, train but are not playing.
"Ealing have been getting tested as well so it is Covid safe, so all those guys who are not involved against Worcester will get some rugby."
The fixture, which kicks off at 7pm, is being played behind closed doors and there is strictly no access to supporters due to RFU covid restrictions.
Bristol Bears ‘A’: 15. Freddie Owsley; 14. Toby Fricker, 13. Jack Bates, 12. Charlie Powell, 11. Deago Bailey; 10. Tom Wilstead, 9. Chris Cook; 1. Peter McCabe, 2. Darren Dawidiuk, 3. Jake Armstrong, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Alex Groves, 6. Charlie Rice, 7. George Kloska, 8. James Dun.
Replacements: Andrew Turner, Aaron Thompson, Tom Kessell, Benjy Joseland, Harry Rowson, Chay Mullins, Siva Naulago.
Ealing Trailfinders: 15 Luke Daniels 14 Levi Davis 13 David Johnston 12 Fraser Strachan 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Steven Shingler 9 Jordan Burns 1 Will Davis 2 Michael Van Vuuren 3 Harry Seward 4 Dave McKern 5 Simon Linsell (c) 6 Abongile Nonkontwana 7 Adam Korczyk 8 Shane Buckley
Replacements: 16 Taine Wagstaff 17 Kyle Whyte 18 George Davis 19 Josh Taylor 20 Simon Uzokwe 21 Kieran Murphy 22 Rayn Smid 23 Ewan Fenley 24 Declan Raubenheimer 25 Pat Howard 26 Max Bodilly 27 Reuben Knight 28 Dean Hammond
