It’s Gloucester’s final pool match in the Premiership Rugby Cup at Kingsholm tonight – Bath are the opposition in what is also Henry Trinder’s testimonial match.

In round four of the Premiership Rugby Cup, the Cherry and Whites continue to rotate the squad and provide game time for as many players as possible in the build-up to the start of the Gallagher Premiership next weekend.

Mark Atkinson, Freddie Clarke and Jaco Kriel all make their first starts of the season tonight as only Tom Hudson and Tom Seabrook retain their places from the team that started at Harlequins last weekend.

Atkinson featured off the bench at the Stoop, but it’s the first competitive action this season for Clarke and Kriel.

Academy lock Harry Butler will make his full debut for the club, and recent signing Corné Fourie is named in the matchday squad for the first time. Simon Linsell will skipper the side.

Trinder is unfortunately still recovering from an Achilles injury so won’t feature in the game, but it’s anticipated that a large crowd will be in attendance to pay tribute to an incredibly gifted player who has served the club well for 12 years.

It’s also a local derby, and academy forwards coach Trevor Woodman stressed that these games are always important.

“You always want to beat your neighbour, and this game goes back way before I was a player and a coach,” he said. “It goes back generations in terms of the supporter base.

“It sits right up there as that one game in the season that you focus a little bit more on. We don’t know what teams are going to be put out, but it’s a derby battle and you always want to make sure, regardless of the competition, you’re on the right end of the result.”

Gloucester: 15. Tom Hudson; 14. Jake Morris, 13. Tom Seabrook, 12. Mark Atkinson, 11. Louis Rees-Zammit; 10. Lloyd Evans, 9. Charlie Chapman; 1. Alex Seville, 2. Henry Walker, 3. Ciaran Knight; 4. Harry Butler, 5. Simon Linsell (capt); 6. Jaco Kriel, 7. Josh Gray, 8. Freddie Clarke. Replacements:
16. Corné Fourie, 17. Val Rapava Ruskin, 18. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19. Gerbrandt Grobler, 20. Aaron Hinkley, 21. Jack Clement, 22. Stephen Varney, 23. Charlie Sharples