WORCESTER Warriors head coach Carl Hogg is expecting a derby ‘dogfight’ against Moseley as they bid to take a step closer to the British and Irish Cup quarter-finals.

International duo Chris Pennell and Jonathan Thomas will be starting for Warriors in Saturday’s Pool Three fixture at Sixways (3pm).

Warriors have won their opening three pool matches and sealed a 39-0 win in last month’s fixture at Moseley.

Worcester are just two wins from reaching the last-eight of the competition.

Hogg said: “We know that Moseley will be a streetwise side and they gave us a really stern test at Sixways in the Championship.

“We had a 10-minute purple patch in the British and Irish Cup match at Moseley last month which took the contest away from them.

“But for long periods in that match it was a dogfight so we expect the same at the weekend.”

Warriors have also beaten Nottingham (26-19) and Munster ‘A’ (27-23) in the competition and Hogg is delighted to give Thomas and Pennell their first starts of the campaign.

He says Warriors will field a more senior side than in the previous three pool matches. But prop Nick Schonert remains sidelined with a knee problem.

"We have an opportunity on Saturday to put a performance together and we understand the importance of the fixture,” said Hogg.

“We have got in a position where we can possibility qualify for the knock-out stage of the competition so the outcome on the weekend is critical to us.

“There are one or two senior guys returning from injury who will come back into the side. We will go with a slightly more senior element then there has been in the past three matches.”

Warriors edged to a 32-29 win against Jersey last Friday after Ryan Lamb kicked a last-minute penalty in the Greene King IPA Championship clash.

Hogg says Warriors will be looking for a more balanced display against Moseley.

“If we need to go with the set-piece we will use it.

“But if we have got the opportunity and a chance to play with a little bit more width and ambition then we will be looking to do that,” he said.