Premiership
Team News | Tigers side to play Saracens
Richard Wigglesworth has named the Leicester Tigers matchday squad to play Saracens in Round 17 of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership.
Julián Montoya will captain the side at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Sunday afternoon.
The Head Coach welcomes back Ben Youngs and Joe Heyes (England), Cameron Henderson (Scotland) and Tommy Reffell (Wales), who were released back to the club during the first fallow week of this season’s Guinness Six Nations.
Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Jack van Poortvliet, Freddie Steward and Anthony Watson are unavailable for selection after being retained by England for a week-long training camp.
Mike Brown will make his Leicester Tigers debut at full-back in a back-three which includes Harry Potter and Chris Ashton, with the latter to play his first game in seven weeks after returning from injury.
It’s a milestone midfield pairing with Matt Scott set for his 50th starting appearance for the club alongside Jimmy Gopperth, who will run out for his 200th Premiership appearance.
Youngs and Handré Pollard are the half-back pairing.
Tom West is named for his first starting appearance in his second match after debuting off the bench in the club’s last outing – against Northampton Saints – three weeks ago.
West and Heyes are the props and Julián Montoya the hooker in the front-row, with George Martin and Henderson the locks in the starting tight five.
The 21-year-old Martin will make his 50th Leicester Tigers appearance in his first start for 10 weeks after making his return from injury in Round 16 at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
Hanro Liebenberg and Olly Cracknell are the flankers and Jasper Wiese the No.8 in the starting back-row.
Charlie Clare, Francois van Wyk, Will Hurd, Eli Snyman and Tommy Reffell are the replacement forwards and Sam Edwards, Charlie Atkinson and Harry Simmons the replacement backs.
STARTING XV
15 Mike Brown *
14 Chris Ashton [23]
13 Matt Scott [58]
12 Jimmy Gopperth [9]
11 Harry Potter [57]
10 Handré Pollard [5]
9 Ben Youngs (vc) [294]
1 Tom West [1]
2 Julián Montoya (c) [34]
3 Joe Heyes [114]
4 George Martin [49]
5 Cameron Henderson [27]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [75]
7 Olly Cracknell [15]
8 Jasper Wiese [51]
REPLACEMENTS
16 Charlie Clare [69]
17 Francois van Wyk [26]
18 Will Hurd [19]
19 Eli Snyman [28]
20 Tommy Reffell [92]
21 Sam Edwards [9]
22 Charlie Atkinson [10]
23 Harry Simmons [30]
* Leicester Tigers debut
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Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
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Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
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