Leicester receive double injury boost for semi-final with Saints

Leicester Tigers duo Billy Searle and Freddie Steward have both been passed fit and will start on Friday in the Gallagher PREM semi-final clash with Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens.

Tigers head coach Geoff Parling has been coy about the pair’s progress in recent weeks, suggesting they could miss the semi-final as Searle recovered from a hamstring injury and Steward continued his rehabilitation following thumb surgery.

The pair are set to start on Friday, though James O’Connor has missed out after being replaced at half-time against Bath last week. Should the Tigers lose this weekend, that will mean the appearance at the Rec was his final appearance for the club.

Saints, meanwhile, have returned to a full-strength side after Phil Dowson rotated the squad for the final league game of the season last week with top spot secure – a 38-31 loss to Harlequins.

Scotland’s Rory Hutchinson has been preferred at No.12 over England’s Fraser Dingwall, who will serve as one of two backs in a 6-2 split on the bench. The bench split is presumably a ploy to provide more firepower up front after Leicester dominated Saints in that area in their 41-17 victory at Welford Road last month.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton

45 - 31

Full-time

Leicester

All Stats and Data

Northampton Saints XV: 15. George Furbank (c), 14. Tommy Freeman, 13. Tom Litchfield, 12. Rory Hutchinson, 11. George Hendy; 10. Fin Smith, 9. Archie McParland; 1. Emmanuel Iyogun (100th Saints appearance), 2. Curtis Langdon, 3. Elliot Millar Mills, 4. Alex Coles, 5. Ed Prowse, 6. Josh Kemeny, 7. Tom Pearson, 8. Henry Pollock.

Replacements: 16. Craig Wright, 17. Danilo Fischetti, 18. Luke Green, 19. JJ van der Mescht, 20. Tom Lockett, 21. Callum Chick, 22. Jonny Weimann, 23. Fraser Dingwall.

Leicester Tigers XV: Freddie Steward (130); Adam Radwan (32), Will Wand (39), Orlando Bailey (27), Ollie Hassell-Collins (74); Billy Searle (23), Jack van Poortvliet (113); Nicky Smith (45), Jamie Blamire (25), Joe Heyes (182), George Martin (79), Ollie Chessum (c) (85), Hanro Liebenberg (151), Tommy Reffell (156), Joaquin Moro (28).

Replacements: Charlie Clare (148), Archie van der Flier (25), Will Hurd (78), Cameron Henderson (85), Olly Cracknell (85), Tom Whiteley (66), Solomone Kata (57), Izaia Perese (30).