Tom May returns to the London Welsh starting line up for tonight’s Greene King IPA Championship clash with the Cornish Pirates at the Kassam Stadium.

The Exiles’ team captain forms a new centre partnership with Sonny Parker, after missing the Exiles’ back-to-back defeats in the British & Irish Cup.

The only other change in the backs from the side that lost to Pontypridd sees Rob Lewis named at scrum half.

In the forwards, Nathan Trevett comes into the front row, while Mitch Lees moves from blindside flanker to the second row, where he partners Peter Browne.

“We’re disappointed with last week’s result and also against London Scottish, but it’s all about the league and building for those play-off positions,” said head coach Justin Burnell.

“We’re back at the Kassam and we want that place full of screaming people from Oxford and London, following London Welsh.

“It’s going to be very entertaining, we like scoring tries and Pirates are a very good side, with the same approach, so there couldn’t be a better place to be on Saturday evening than the Kassam.”

Former Oxford University Blue Alex Cheesman is a replacement for Pirates.

London Welsh: Jewell, Stegmann, May (capt), S Parker, Scott, Ross, R Lewis, Trevett, Titterrell, Edwards, Lees, P Browne, Thorpe, Kirwan, D Browne. Reps: Davis, Moss, Tideswell, Corker, Pienaar, A Davies, Awcock.

Cornish Pirates: Holland, Pope, Riley, James, Evans, Hallett (capt), Kessell, Cahill, Channon, Joyce, Graulich, Patrick, J Parker, Atkinson, Conlon. Reps: Elloway, K Davies, Prescott, Sandford, Cheesman, Sinclair, Hend-rickson.