This may be the best team the coach has fielded this season

NEWCASTLE have played well so far this season. As the newly promoted team their supporters should be delighted that they are lying ninth in the table, only three points behind Leicester with six wins to their credit.

They have already performed arguably beyond expectations, although anyone who has studied the generally well-run and organised nature of Dean Richards’ sides will not be too surprised.

The fact that their last win was in January will be of some concern, but the Tyneside team is a match for any side on their day. Meanwhile, as expected, after the more “squadbased” selection away to Exeter, Steve Borthwick has picked what appears to be largely his nominally strongest available team to play at Welford Road.

A few interesting points. The home-grown duo of Calum Green and Harry Wells continue to be preferred in the second row, and are backed up from the bench by Cam Henderson. An interesting bit of salary cap room emerging when Tomas Lavanini departs for France at the season end.

Outside of Ben Youngs, whom Leicester can afford to rest because of their remarkable strength at scrum-half, the England players return.

Ford and Genge starting and Martin on the bench raises the quality in the squad.

Together with the return of Jasper Wiese from suspension, this may be the best team Leicester have been able to put together this season.

That’s a genuine credit to the way in which players have developed quickly under Borthwick, with the number of improved existing Tigers and shrewd recruitment paying off in a manner unrecognisable from the pre-Borthwick era.

Interviews with Borthwick during the week were heartening.

While the news that some players were hauled off the park on his first day because of the standard of their work sadly will come as no surprise.

The fact that Borthwick immediately set about raising expectations to the level of the very best is exactly what people want to hear. Further his acceptance that being competitive isn’t good enough and only winning is good enough for his club takes me back to the days of Martin Johnson and co.

If Leicester can maintain a full complement of 15 players on the pitch, the Tigers should bank another home win and move up the league.

It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to say that a defeat would come as a surprise.