Jack Preece leads Gloucestershire into their county championship opener against Devon at Cleve tomorrow (3pm).

The openside flanker, who coaches Old Centralians, takes over as skipper from the injured Mike Wilcox.

The 27-year-old Preece has been playing for Birmingham Moseley this season but will play for Coventry next season.

Cinderford has five players in the starting line-up and there is also a player from Galashiels in the Scottish borders - wing Dean Brooker.

Ten clubs are represented in the 24-man squad, including scrum-half Ollie Venni from the Royal Agricultural College.

Two of the 24 players named are travelling reserves.

Shane Aldridge, Gloucestershire’s new head of representative rugby, said he was “excited and apprehensive” ahead of tomorrow’s game.

“The team had a good runout last night but at this stage you’re never sure how it will go until the day,” he said.

If Gloucestershire are to make it all the way through to the final this year, which is at Twickenham on Sunday 28th May, they will have to navigate their way through a new format.

They are still only playing three pool games – against Devon tomorrow, against Hertfordshire at Hertford on May 13th (3pm) and against Surrey at Lydney on May 20th (3pm) – but the group also includes Cornwall and Kent.

It means Gloucestershire could win all three of their games – bonus points are available for tries scored and defeats by seven points or fewer - but miss out on a Twickenham place on points difference because only the top team goes through.

Gloucestershire: 1 Josh Lloyd (Dings Crusaders), 2 Dean Brooker (Galashiels), 3 James Elliot (Birmingham Moseley), 4 Harry Home (Birmingham Moseley), 5 Robert Fuller (Hartpury College), 6 Will Keenan (Cinderford), 7 Jack Preece (Birmingham Moseley), 8 Matt Lane (Cinderford), 9 Ollie Venni (Royal Agricultural College), 10 Lewis Dennett (Hartpury College), 11 James Gahan (Old Patesians), 12 Sam Goatley (Cinderford), 13 Barney Goatley (Cleve), 14 Harrison Yorke (Cinderford), 15 Eamonn Rees (Cinderford).

Replacements: 16 Paul Vinicone (Cleve), 17 Tyler Jerrum (Cleve), 18 Lewis Beer (Cleve), 19 Ross Webb (Newent), 20 Tom Webb (Newent), 21 Brett Gardner (Newent), 22 Marcus Brown (Cinderford).

Travelling reserves: 23 Mike Addis (Newent), 24 Costner Lane (Lydney).