England rest rule affects Leicester team selection

Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika has chosen to leave England lock George Martin out of the team for this weekend’s trip to Top 14 high-flyers Bordeaux-Begles.

Martin started all four games of England’s Autumn Nations Series campaign and as a result, Leicester were required to give him one week off in the three weekends that followed the international window under the new Professional Game Partnership Agreement.

Cheika could have sidelined Martin for next week’s game at home to the Sharks at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday, December 14th.

Either way, the Australian believes he shouldn’t be dictated to when it comes to player management. “All the ones that have to rest are rested for this game,” he said. “As far as the resting thing goes, the ones that miss out are the fans. They don’t get to see the best of the best playing against each other.

“I understand the concept totally, but I would be looking after my players anyway. So I don’t like the fact I am being told to do it at a certain time because I’d be looking after my blokes all the time. I don’t know if everyone else is, but I’d imagine they would be because they (the players) are our assets.”

With Martin left out, Harry Wells has a new second-row partner in French lock Côme Joussain, who makes his first start for the club in his ninth appearance.

England pair, Freddie Steward and Jack van Poortvliet are, however, included in the Tigers’ starting team that heads to France looking to repeat their 16-13 win in Bordeaux’s backyard in December 2021. Poortvliet captains the side.

Meanwhile, England tight-head Dan Cole, Springbok playmaker Handrè Pollard and Welsh forward duo, Nicky Smith and Tommy Reffell, have all been given the weekend off.

Cole didn’t fall under the rest ruling, though, as he missed the Japan Test and you have to have played in every game, whether it was one minute or 80, for it to apply.

Joussain, Izaia Perese, Jed Holloway and Joseph Woodward will also make their European debut for the club.

Leicester team v Bordeaux-Begles: 15 Freddie Steward; 14 Josh Bassett, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Solomone Kata, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins; 10 Jamie Shillcock, 9 Jack van Poortvliet (c); 1 James Cronin, 2 Charlie Clare, 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Harry Wells, 5 Côme Joussain, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Emeka Ilione, 8 Olly Cracknell [49]

Replacements: 16 Finn Theobald-Thomas, 17 James Whitcombe, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Jed Holloway, 20 Kyle Hatherell, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Joseph Woodward, 23 Mike Brown.