RETIRING World Cup winner Wynand Olivier will line up for a strong Worcester Cavaliers team in their final Premiership Rugby Shield match of the season against Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park today (4pm).

The centre, who was part of South Africa’s World Cup-winning squad, announced last week that he will retire at the end of the season but he remains committed to Warriors’ cause.

Olivier has scored a try in each of Cavaliers’ last two Shield matches and will line up alongside scrum-half Jonny Arr whose 23-year association with Warriors will come to an end next month.

Lock Pierce Phillips, Zimbabwe international tighthead prop Farai Mudariki and flanker Matti Williams have all recovered from head injuries and will start against Newcastle.

Scrum-half Luke Baldwin has returned from a month-long loan with Harlequins and been named among the replacements for a possible first appearance since the Cavaliers match at Sale Jets on December 30.

Loosehead prop Kai Owen and lock James Scott are unavailable as they are involved in an England under 20s squad session at Loughborough.

Newcastle have already topped the Northern Conference of the Shield and assured themselves of a home semi-final next month.

Cavaliers’ slim hopes of making the semi-finals were ended by Northampton Wanderers who beat Leicester Tigers Development XV on Saturday to secure runners-up spot in the Northern Conference.

Cavaliers: van Breda; Humphreys, Olivier, Butler, Hearle; Simpson, Arr; Cosgrove, Miller, Mudariki, Dodd, Phillips, Williams, Kirwan, Cox. Replacements: Phillips-Taylor, Reid, Morris, Thomas-Hall, Miller, Baldwin, Heward, Tonks.