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Freddie Burns handed first start back at Leicester but not at No10

(Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Freddie Burns is set to make his first Gallagher Premiership start in his second coming at Leicester, but not in his familiar out-half position as he has been chosen by Steve Borthwick to wear the No15 shirt versus Saracens at Mattioli Woods Welford Road this Saturday. 

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It will be Burns’ first time to start at full-back since a November 2019 spell at Bath where he started at No15 for three successive games versus Wasps, Northampton and Ulster. Now back at Leicester following his year in Japan, Burns was given just a few minutes off the bench in the opening round win over Exeter but he is now primed for much greater involvement. 

It was January 2017 against Wasps when he last started at full-back for Leicester in the last season of his initial three-year stint at the club, but he has now got the nod from Borthwick to occupy that role with Freddie Steward held in reserve this week. 

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    Steward was one of five Leicester players who attended the recent England mini-training camp and Ben Youngs, who finished up early at that session in London due to the minor thigh injury sustained in the round two league win at Gloucester, has been passed fit to start at scrum-half. His half-back partner will be George Ford, the headline England squad omission, who will go head to head against Owen Farrell, the England captain and Saracens No10.  

    Regarding Leicester’s other England training squad picks, George Martin will start at blindside, club skipper Ellis Genge and the aforementioned Steward make the bench but there is no spot in the matchday 23 for Joe Heyes. Elsewhere, Tonga international Hosea Saumaki will make his Premiership debut on the wing.

    Meanwhile, the inclusion of Farrell to start is one of three changes to the Saracens XV following their win at Bristol in round one. Lions tourist Jamie George and Max Malins, who was injured on England summer series duty, are included at hooker and full-back respectively. 

    LEICESTER: 15. Freddie Burns; 14. Kobus van Wyk, 13. Guy Porter, 12. Dan Kelly, 11. Hosea Saumaki; 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1. Francois van Wyk, 2. Nic Dolly, 3. Dan Cole, 4. Calum Green, 5. Ollie Chessum, 6. George Martin, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Hanro Liebenberg (capt). Reps: 16. Tom Cowan-Dickie, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. Nephi Leatigaga, 19. Harry Wells, 20. Cameron Henderson, 21. Jack van Poortvliet, 22. Juan Pablo Socino, 23. Freddie Steward.

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    SARACENS: 15. Max Malins; 14. Alex Lewington, 13. Alex Lozowski, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Rotimi Segun, 10. Owen Farrell (capt), 9. Aled Davies; 1. Ralph Adams-Hale, 2. Jamie George, 3. Marco Riccioni, 4. Nick Isiekwe, 5. Tim Swinson, 6. Jackson Wray, 7. Ben Earl, 8. Billy Vunipola. Reps: 16. Tom Woolstencroft, 17. Eroni Mawi, 18. Alec Clarey, 19. Callum Hunter-Hill, 20. Andy Christie, 21. Joe Simpson, 22. Alex Goode, 23. Dom Morris.

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    J
    JW 2 hours ago
    Razor has an about turn on All Blacks eligibility rules

    Yep, another problem!


    I think he would have, in the instance I mentioned, which wasn’t changing anything other than correctly applying todays eligibility quidelines. Which is an arbitrary construct, as the deal likely would have played out completely differently, but I just ‘allowed’ him to have 1 year sabbatically for his ‘loyalty’, rather than having some arbitrary number like 70 caps required.


    So if Richie had a 3 year deal, and the first year he was allowed to use him still, I don’t think he’d really not transition to Dmac being his main 10, as he’s obviously the only one he can use for the following two years, therefore likely his only real option for the WC (very hard for Richie to overtake him in such a short time). Richie would purely be a security net in a situation like I proposition where there are only small changes to the eligibility.


    The system is not working well enough though, as we don’t have the Rugby Championship or World Cup trophies, do we? Well on that last question, that’s all I’m really saying but I would not believe a word this author says, so it’s entirely a ‘what if’ discussion, but if the author is right and now they are actually going to be more flexible, I think that’s great yeah. Ultimately thought I think those two players were an anomaly signing their contracts and futures up so far ahead, especially of when they were performing. Both jumped at the opportunity of good contracts when their All Black prospects weren’t looking that bright.

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