A PAIR of Birmingham Moseley players are training with Worcester Warriors ahead of a proposed friendly between the two clubs.

Lock Lewis Bean and fly-half James Williams are being put through their paces by Warriors’ coaching staff before returning to Moseley later this month.

But Worcester boss director of rugby Alan Solomons is also planning for his team to take on the Birmingham outfit before the 2018-19 Premiership season kicks off.

The relationship between the two Midlands sides has grown since Warriors’ ex-breakdown coach Simon Cross became Moseley’s head coach in May 2017.

Although Cross has now departed Sixways, Solomons is keen to maintain a close bond with the National One team and has invited Bean and Williams to train with Warriors.

Yorkshire-born Bean who stands at 6ft 8in and weighs 20st progressed through the army’s rugby set-up before arriving at Billesley Common in 2017 and made 20 appearances for them last term.

Williams established himself as an accurate kicker for Moseley, landing a club league record of eight out of eight kicks at goal in a match in 2016, before joining Hartpury.

After just one season with the Gloucestershire side he has now returned to Moseley and has stepped up his preparations by competing in gruelling sessions with Warriors.

“Two of Moseley’s lads are with us,” Solomons said.

“Lewis Beam is a young lock and a very good player and James Williams is a fly-half.

“We have got an arrangement with Crossy so that they can come across here.

“They have not come to our camp (in Spain), but they will get another couple of weeks with us before they go back to Moseley.”

Warriors will begin their pre-season fixtures with a trip to Italy to face Benetton on Friday, August 10 before hosting Championship side Hartpury on Saturday, August 18. And Solomons is aiming to arrange a meeting with Moseley as Worcester gear up for their Premiership opener against Wasps at Sixways on Saturday, September 1.

But the warm-up match which has yet to be confirmed may take place behind closed doors.

“We have got an arrangement (to play) Moseley on the Thursday, 10 days out (before the season starts).

“I want that time so if there are any little knocks and bumps we can attend to them and we will have a longer lead into our first league game which is on the (following) Saturday as I would also like to give the lads a long weekend off.”