WASPS play their first pre-season match of the new campaign in Italy tonight, with a raft of new faces in the squad.

Fly half Stephen Jones is probably the biggest name in tonight’s friendly against Treviso.

The Welsh ten signed from Scarlets during the summer and has already wowed his new team-mates at training.

Fans will also get their first look at centre Lee Thomas, who could be an influential player this year with Dom Waldouck and Riki Flutey both moving on during the summer, while Tommy Bell starts at full back.

At the other end of the field, hooker T Rhys Thomas will try to fill the void at hooker.

Meanwhile, there are a host of new faces among the replacements too with Andrea Masi, Ashley Johnson and Lewis Thiede all set to make their debuts from the bench.

Marco Wentzel will captain Wasps against the club he played for earlier in his career, while Tom Palmer should get a run out from the bench after returning to Wasps from Stade Francais.

Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “We’re looking forward to getting back out there and getting a game under our belts.

“The boys have worked very hard in pre-season and they’re all excited about getting out there for the first time.”

The squad is: Payne, Thomas, McIntyre, Wentzel, Cannon, Jones, Everard, Vunipola, Berry, Jones, Wallace, Thomas, Mayor, Varndell, Bell. Replacements: Taulafo, Thiede, Lindsay, Birkett, Palmer, Johnson, Simpson, Nick Robinson, Masi, Wade, Will Robinson WASPS are still saying nothing about the proposed takeover by Ken Moss.

Contracts were exchanged at the end of June but since then nothing has been announced apart from Wasps insisting it would be done ‘very shortly’.