Lewis and Hannam make first starts as county faces crunch tie

Gloucestershire will need to take maximum points from tomorrow afternoon's game against Hertfordshire at Cinderford if they are to avoid relegation from the County Championship Bill Beaumont Cup Division One South.

Hertfordshire are the unbeaten group leaders but they scraped a 29-27 win over Cornwall last Saturday when Penryn's Dave Pascoe saw his penalty kick, three minutes from time, hit the upright and bounce back in to play.

Gloucestershire have made six changes and a positional switch to their starting line-up.

Hartpury College's Harris Casson, the Gloucestershire U20s captain, starts at blindside flanker with Richmond's Will Warden joining Cross Keys' Danny Hodge in the second row.

Mike Wilcox moves to fly-half, Hartpury full-back Glen Lewis and Lydney wing Josh Hannam make their first starts with Hartpury centre Seb Rodwell while Southend scrum-half Sam Arnott is recalled.

Gloucestershire (v Hertfordshire at Cinderford, 3pm): G Lewis (Hartpury College); N Codlin (Cinderford), R Winchle (Cinderford), S Rodwell (Hartpury College), J Hannam (Lydney); M Wilcox (Cinderford), S Arnott (Southend); J Smart, S Wilkes (both Cinderford), C Meddick (Dings Crusaders), W Warden (Richmond), D Hodge (Cross Keys), H Casson (Hartpury College), W Foden (capt), George Evans (both Cinderford). Reps: R Haile, C Gervais (both Taunton), S Plummer (Dings Crusaders), B Sparks, L Allen (both Cinderford), N Selway (Lydney), R Townsend (Hartpury College).

Hertfordshire: R Gregg (Old Albanians); M Allen (Hertford), C Lombaard (Old Albanian), J Tompkins (Saracens), B Ransom (Bedford); J Shanahan (Old Albanian), S Liebenburg (Bedford ); J Saunders (Saracens), B MacNamee (Hertford) (capt), P du Plessis (Saracens), T Jubb (Cambridge), E Sherriff (Saracens), O Cooper Miller, R Farenheim (both Old Albanian), B Johnson (Bedford), Reps: R Schillaci (Hertford), S Bailey (Old Albanian), J Remfry (Barnes), L White (Old Albanian), T Mowbray (Chinnor), T Coleman (Bishops Stortford), T Newton (Tring)

Victory for Somerset tomorrow against Kent at Maidstone would see the West Country side through to a home tie in the Division Two Plate Final against the Northern Group winners next weekend.

Both sides have won their opening game with Somerset beating Devon 33-20 at Bridgwater two weeks ago and Kent having a narrow 46-41 victory over Devon at Brixham last weekend.

"This is obviously an important game for us and we know that we are going up against a tough side. Kent have played in the top flight before so clearly they are a quality team," said Somerset team manager Mark Hawkes.

Dorset & Wilts will be hoping to book their place in a third successive County Championship Shield final when they face Leicestershire in the semi-final at Vipers RFC in Leicester.

The twin counties will be looking to repeat their 2010 success over Leicestershire when they beat the Midlanders 36-26 in a thrilling encounter to lift the County Championship Shield at Twickenham.

Dorset & Wilts head coach Don Parsons has added 11 players to his squad, including six from Bournemouth.

Dorset & Wilts (v Leicestershire at Vipers RFC, 3pm) from: A Low (Swindon), F Wilford, R Carrel (both Bournemouth), R Jones (Corsham), C Hughes, J Hennings, T Dunkerley (all Bournemouth), L Gilbert (Chinnor), S Hardcastle (Bournemouth), A Westall (Swindon), R Searle, S Chislett (both Bournemouth), C Elton (Corsham), B Stewart, K Lynch (both Bournemouth), D Hobbs, G Blackborow (both Salisbiury), C Forset (Bournemouth), B Lyons (Chippenham), T Berry, C Knot, C Vine (all Swindon), J Warren (Dorchester), J Tarrent (Bournemouth), A Bradley (Bishops Wordsworth School), T Pottage (Salisbury), S Lilly (Sherborne).