Leicester make 13 changes as they prepare to host Bath on Saturday
Steve Borthwick has made 13 changes to the Leicester Tigers starting line-up for Saturday’s return to Welford Road against Bath in round 15 of the Gallagher Premiership season. Tomas Lavanini and George Worth, who moves into the midfield from full-back, are the only two players retained from the starting side that lost at Exeter last Saturday in round 14.
After coming off the Premiership bench last weekend, front rowers Nephi Leatigaga, Jake Kerr and Joe Heyes make up the Leicester front row, with Lavanini partnering Australia international Blake Enever in the second row. Enever, who joined Tigers from the ACT Brumbies during the summer, will make his club debut.
In the back row, it’s a trio of Premiership first starts for the club for George Martin, Luke Wallace and Thom Smith. The 19-year-old Martin will also make his first appearance in the competition, as well as his first run out at Welford Road in just his second senior start for the club.
Smith, who made his Premiership debut at Exeter, will make his first starting appearance in the competition and Wallace, in just his second game for the club since his summer arrival, has been named vice-captain alongside outside-back Worth.
Ben White will captain the side and partner Johnny McPhillips at half-back. Guy Porter has been named to make his Tigers debut alongside Worth at centre after arriving from the ACT Brumbies during the postponement period.
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Steve Borthwick talks about last week's fixture, looks ahead to Saturday and shares his thoughts on our opponents, plus the Tigers side selected and his expectations of them and more in this week's ???? ????, thanks to @ToppsTiles. pic.twitter.com/MSmBj2Nmhx
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) August 21, 2020
Fellow new addition Harry Potter will also make his debut, alongside his former Sydney University team-mate Porter, after being named on the wing. Harry Simmons is on the other wing and Zack Henry, in his first start for Leicester, is at full-back.
Dan Cole is the only one of the replacements who featured last weekend and is included alongside fellow Tigers academy graduates Charlie Clare and Ryan Bower as front row cover.
Scotland U20s lock Cameron Henderson is in line to make his Tigers debut and is joined on the bench by back row Jordan Coghlan. Academy graduates Jack van Poortvliet, Tom Hardwick and Freddie Steward complete the replacements.
Borthwick said: “This period of games is an opportunity for us to work the depth of our squad, work the competition for places and work that we understand the combinations better.
“That’s the opportunity the players have this weekend – the privileged opportunity they have to be the first Leicester team since we restarted to represent Leicester back here at Welford Road.”
LEICESTER (vs Bath, Saturday)
15. Zack Henry; 14. Harry Potter, 13. George Worth, 12. Guy Porter, 11. Harry Simmons; 10. Johnny McPhillips, 9 Ben White (capt); 1. Nephi Leatigaga; 2. Jake Kerr, 3. Joe Heyes, 4. Tomas Lavanini, 5. Blake Enever, 6. George Martin, 7. Luke Wallace, 8. Thom Smith. Reps: 16. Charlie Clare, 17. Ryan Bower, 18. Dan Cole, 19. Cameron Henderson, 20. Jordan Coghlan, 21. Jack van Poortvliet, 22. Tom Hardwick, 23. Freddie Steward.
Guessing game… "We want you to be able to identify those traits in us"
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 21, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments