Newcastle Leicester

7.45pm, BT Sport 1 Leicester’s England centre Manu Tuilagi returns from a muscle injury and partners Matt Toomua in midfield. Newcastle welcome back flanker Mark Wilson following a hamstring injury the set-piece. “That’s probably been the biggest change in culture,” Polota-nau said. “You can tell people really pride themselves on how dominant they can be in the set-piece. To them, that’s their mental edge and that’s something I have come to enjoy.”

Polota-nau has benefited hugely from the tutelage of Simon Hardy, a specialist line-out coach who, he says, has transformed his throwing action. “I have changed from a split stance to a normal stance and a few other technical areas where I am confident in my throwing that I could hit any mark,” Polota-nau said. “I just wish I had that earlier because I wasn’t an ideal thrower back in the day.”

Leicester will need Polota-nau to hit his marks tonight after the line-out misfired badly in the 27-21 defeat by Northampton.

Another defeat would spell the end of the Tigers’ 13-year record of qualifying for the play-offs. “It is do or die,” Polota-nau said. “I don’t want to be the first team not to make the top four.”

With 82 caps, Polota-nau still qualifies to play for the Wallabies under “Giteau’s Law”. There have been suggestions in the Australian press that coach Michael Cheika wants him to return home this year. Yet despite his ambitions of playing in the World Cup, Polotanau is a man of his word.

“I am seeing my contract out here,” Polota-nau said. “I am fortunate that Leicester have given me the opportunity to keep progressing and I fully intend to repay them.”