GLOUCESTER ring the changes as they bid to take one step closer to a European Rugby Champions Cup place when they face Connacht at Kingsholm tomorrow (Sunday).

Only three of the side that started at Bath last Saturday are retained in the starting XV – Henry Purdy, Nick Wood and Dan Thomas.

Billy Twelvetrees will skipper the side which sees the return of seven fellow internationals - Charlie Sharples, Jonny May, James Hook, Greig Laidlaw, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa and Tom Palmer – who all missed out on the trip to Bath.

Meanwhile, Bill Meakes and Ross Moriarty are both back having served suspensions picked up in the club's last European outing – the Challenge Cup Final victory over Edinburgh three weeks ago.

And there will be a first European start for openside flanker Dan Thomas. The 21-year-old has made six starts for the club this season in domestic competition, scoring four tries.

The fixture is a repeat of this season's Challenge Cup quarter-final between the two sides at Kingsholm, which Gloucester edged narrowly by 14-7.

The winner of Sunday's game will progress to a final play-off game against a side from the French Top 14 but, whatever the outcome, this will be Gloucester's final outing at Kingsholm this season.

Gloucester: Charlie Sharples; Jonny May, Bill Meakes, Billy Twelvetrees (capt), Henry Purdy; James Hook, Greig Laidlaw; Nick Wood, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa; Tom Savage, Tom Palmer; Jacob Rowan, Dan Thomas, Ross Moriarty.

Replacements: Darren Dawidiuk, Yann Thomas, Shaun Knight, Elliott Stooke, Lewis Ludlow, Dan Robson, Billy Burns, Rob Cook.