Moroni and de Bruin set to make debuts
ENGLND STARS ON THE BENCH FOR EURO CHALLENGE CUP TIE
I’d love to tip a home win, I really would ... but when a team can’t defend its dinner winning home games becomes a whole lot more difficult.
Frank Lampard made 10 changes midweek so expect the same side who beat Leeds to come into this match well rested and eager.
ENgLAND forward Ellis genge has revealed the dread of returning to Leicester Tigers from international duty in the past has been replaced by excitement and optimism, writes Bobby Bridge.
The loosehead prop won his 23rd Test cap when selected to start against France in the Autumn Nations Cup final following Mako Vunipola’s late withdrawal from the squad.
Speaking as a guest on The good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast which also features former England internationals James Haskell and Mike Tindall, and television presenter Alex Payne, genge discussed how rejoining his club from the international set-up is not the hardship it previously was.
“I enjoy seeing where the
ARGENTINA international centre Matias Moroni will make his Leicester Tigers debut tonight against Brive (7.45pm).
The European Challenge Cup clash at the Mattioli Woods Welford Road will also see South African prop Luan de Bruin make his first appearance from the bench.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has also been boosted by the return from injury of Tomas Lavanini and the returning England trio of Ben Youngs, Ellis Genge and George Ford, who are all named among the replacements. Fijians Nemani Nadolo, fresh from scoring a hat-trick against Georgia, and Kini Murimurivalu are on the wings with Joaquín Díaz Bonilla starting at fly-half. While there is some rotation within the Tigers squad with the likes of Dan Cole not included for tonight’s game, Borthwick’s selection indicates it is a match and a competition he will be taking seriously.
“I think the approach we will take is, we want to win the games,” he said. “Within the context of that, we have to understand where each player is, how much rugby they’ve played, what they need, who needs more rugby, who needs a break to recharge. boys are at,” said genge, below, who made his Tigers and England debuts just three months apart in 2016.
“We had a really good win against gloucester then we lost to London Irish and also lost the other day to Exeter.
“A lot of people will argue that Leicester Tigers are the same team as before but I can see from the outside, and me and Lenny
[Ben Youngs]
“That is always in consideration and is always a conversation myself and Aled [Walters] have.
“However, to keep it very simple, we want to win each and every game we go into.”
Richard Wigglesworth, who has started all three of Tigers’ games so far this season, misses out after he was banned for four games for breaching Covid conduct rules while on Barbarians duty in October.
Winger Harry Simmons also misses out after suffering a head injury against Exeter Chiefs which saw the offender, Stuart Townsend, receive a five-week suspension following a midweek disciplinary hearing.
Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward,
14 Kini Murimurivalu, 13 Matias Moroni,
12 Matt Scott, 11 Nemani Nadolo,
10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 9 Ben White,
1 Nephi Leatigaga, 2 Tom Youngs (c),
3 Joe Heyes 4, Harry Wells, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Jordan Taufua, 8 Jasper Wiese
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Luan De Bruin, 19 Calum Green, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 George Ford, 23 Guy Porter spoke about this on the way back, we can see from the outside how much work has been done.
“It’s just changed so much. I want to be involved in it, which is exciting. “Whereas, if I am being brutally honest with you in the past, maybe two years ago or a year-anda-half ago, going back to the club wasn’t as easy because I knew it was a bit of a s**t show and there wasn’t much progressing, if I am being honest.” Despite playing nearly an hour of Test rugby as recently as
Sunday, the 25-year-old reported back to club duty on Tuesday.
He has been named on the bench to face Brive tonight when Tigers kick off their European Challenge Cup campaign at the Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
“I am straight back into training and playing on Friday,” he said on The good, The Bad and The Rugby.
“I want to play, it’s tough. It’s honestly hard for me to stop and then start again and my body is numb to the pain of rugby at the moment.
“Whereas, if I stop for the week, I’ll have to adjust again to the spine compression.
“I’d rather keep going and I am happy to play, I want to play for the club.”