WORCESTER Warriors look set to freshen up their backs for the visit of Northampton Saints to Sixways tomorrow (1pm).

Josh Adams and Perry Humphreys have featured regularly for Warriors this season, making 12 Aviva Premiership appearances between them.

But the duo face stiff competition for the two spots on the wing with Bryce Heem coming back to full fitness and Dean Hammond in a rich vein of form.

Full-back Chris Pennell is also expected to return to the starting line-up after overcoming a sickness bug.

Director of rugby Gary Gold welcomed the competition for places and admitted he had been guilty of being “too consistent” with his selection.

“We have got a little bit of confidence back in our try-scoring ability so we have some nice dilemmas,” Gold said.

“The forwards pretty much pick themselves in terms of the players that are fit at the moment but the backs are offering some wonderful challenges as some guys are starting to find form.”

Hammond strengthened his case for a starting shirt against Saints with a hat-trick in Warriors’ 45-37 loss at Harlequins last Sunday. The 25-year-old has now scored six tries in seven appearances this term.

“It is unfair to give players an opportunity in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and not reward them when they do well,” Gold continued.

“If Dean gets selected this weekend, somebody is going to be very disappointed and that’ll be somebody who isn’t playing badly.

“That’s the competitiveness of sport and maybe that’s what we need right now. We need a little bit of internal pressure.

“Maybe the consistency of selection has been too consistent.

“When guys put in performances like that it’s very difficult to ignore them.”

Gold is also “quietly optimistic” versatile back Ryan Mills and scrum-half Francois Hougaard will be fit to take on sixth-placed Northampton.

With Jono Lance impressing at fly-half in recent weeks, Mills could slot into the number 12 jersey as Warriors bid to end their seven-match losing streak in the Premiership.

“Hopefully we are going to have a couple of big name players available for selection,” Gold added.

“Chris might come back into the mix and one or two others so we are looking forward to a big crowd at Sixways.”

POSSIBLE WARRIORS LINE-UP: Pennell; Hammond, Willison, Mills, Heem; Lance, Hougaard; Waller, Singleton, Schonert, O'Callaghan (c), Spencer, Denton, Lewis, van Velze.

Replacements: Williams, Bower, Alo, Scotland-Williamson, Fa'osiliva, Dowsett, Olver, Humphreys.