The Tigers who can sink Bath
Ethan Clamp Bobby Bridge
BACK THREE
Our Picks: 11 Nemani Nadolo, 14 Harry Potter, 15 Bryce Hegarty. 23 Kini Murimurivalu
It’s not unheard of for a player who was put up for midweek media duties by Leicester Tigers to not be selected in the next matchday squad.
We’ve seen it before, most notably when Matt Scott spoke ahead of the European Challenge Cup, only to be missing from the squad named to face Montpellier.
There’s a huge amount of narrative behind Freddie Burns going up against one of his former clubs, but not enough to ensure his selection and Australian Bryce Hegarty impressed when he came from the bench against Northampton Saints.
Could now be the right time to give him a first start, and hold Burns’ talents in reserve?
The wing partnership of Nadolo and Potter has been in place for six of Tigers’ seven games – it’s likely they’ll go again although Kini Murimurivalu may have played his way in with a try-scoring impact from the bench last week.
CENTRES
Our picks: 12 Dan Kelly, 13 Guy
Porter
This is one of Tigers’ “most-hit” areas during the autumn internationals as Matt Scott teams up with Scotland and Matias Moroni with Argentina.
So it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Dan Kelly, pictured, doesn’t start at inside centre.
He did spend some time at outside centre earlier in his Tigers career, which would facilitate the likes of Juan Pablo Socino or Dan Lancaster being involved at 12.
However, the most likely scenario is Guy Porter coming in at 13 just as he did against Saracens - his only start from four Tigers appearances this term.
HALF-BACKS
Our picks: 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 10 George Ford, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Freddie Burns
Leicester Tigers will be aiming to make it eight straight Premiership wins when bottom club Bath visit Mattioli Woods Welford Road tomorrow night before the two-week break for Premiership Cup action. The international window is now fully in play, so there will be plenty of changes as stars head off to represent their countries. Here, rugby writers and pick their 23-man squad for Friday night’s encounter…
It would be a seismic shock for Ford to be left out given his stunning display against Northampton Saints - while this will be his eighth consecutive game of the campaign, the time for rest is just around the corner.
Now for scrum-half. Do Tigers stick with what worked last time out, and start Wigglesworth, or give van Poortvliet a go from the off?
Bath fielded the inexperienced, but lively, Ollie Fox at nine against Wasps.
The thought of putting him up against the most experienced Premiership player of all time will be tempting.
However, it feels like the right time for JvP to earn his third start to the season after a stunning input last time out.
FRONT-ROW Our picks:
1 Francois van Wyk, 2 Nic Dolly, 3 Dan Cole, 16 Tom CowanDickie, 17 Nephi Leatigaga, 18 Joe Heyes
Tigers looked like they were heading into a bit of a problem at hooker with Julian Montoya and Tom Youngs unavailable and Charlie Clare yet to feature this season due to injury.
However, Dolly’s release from the England squad will surely see him recalled to the matchday squad, and the starting lineup.
Rotating van Wyk doesn’t feel likely given how well he did against Saints, so it’s all eyes on tighthead and
Although Heyes must be chomping at the bit to get that three shirt back across his broad shoulders.
SECOND ROW
Our Picks: 4 Harry Wells,
5 Calum Green, 19 Eli Snyman
Snyman is settling in nicely to life at Leicester Tigers and was influential in that devastating first 30 minutes at Franklin’s Gardens. But Green never stays out of the starting line-up for long, having never been named as a replacement for successive Premiership games during his time with Leicester.
Wells has only missed one XV this season, when he was among the replacements against Saracens, and it’s unlikely he will be removed from a starting role.
BACK ROWS Our Picks:
6 Ollie Chessum, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 George Martin, 20 Cyle Brink/Gareth Evans
Not since March 5 have Leicester Tigers packed down without either Jasper Wiese or Hanro Liebenberg at number eight.
That 22-game streak is in very real danger of ending as the former is with the Springboks and the latter could still be out with a shoulder injury.
So what are the options beyond that?
Gareth Evans has yet to make his Tigers debut and feels like a logical choice, given his experience in the position.
But at the expense of not playing the returning George Martin? The released England forward has packed down at eight during games for Tigers, but not from the start.
The other possibility is Cyle Brink’s return. Steve Borthwick hinted the South African is getting closer, but to throw him in from the start would be a big call.
Marco van Staden’s place is likely to be taken by Reffell, leaving Chessum to go again from the
blindside flank.
Our 23-man squad: 15 Bryce Hegarty, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Guy Porter, 12 Dan Kelly, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 George Ford, 9 Jack van Poortvliet; 1 Francois van Wyk, 2 Dan Kelly, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Harry Wells, 5 Calum Green, 6 Ollie Chessum, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 George Martin.
Replacements: 16 Tom CowanDickie, 17 Nephi Leatigaga, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Cyle Brink/Gareth Evans, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 Kini Murimurivalu.