Teams Up: Newcastle at Home

A bumper 22,000 plus crowd is set to welcome Tigers back to action in what will be the largest opening gate since the new CAT stand opened in 2009.  The added attractions of Dean Richards, John Wells and Alesana Tuilagi as well as a summer transfer splurge on 8 internationals has excited the Welford Road faithful in the week that the club announced increased turnover and profits.

Tigers name a very interesting side with first Premiership starts for Seremaia Bai, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Freddie Burns.  Geoff Parling's knock against Edinburgh seems more serious than first hoped as he misses out on the match day squad completely.  Also missing against his former side is Mat Tait, who featured from the bench last weekend against Cardiff.  

Matt Smith is on the bench in what is surely an injury related selection.  Smith is a good lad but is not the all round player of Tait's class.

Sebastian De Chaves and Graham Kitchener form the second row partnership with Tom Croft providing cover from flanker.  No lock is named on the bench with flankers Jamie Gibson and Bob Barbieri supporting Tom Bristow, Tiziano Pasquali and the returning Tom Youngs.

Newcastle haven't won at Welford Road for 17 years, their sole victory in Leicester coming in their Championship season in December 1997; coincidentally this was Dean Richards last start for the club as he was a late replacement in the second row.  They haven't beaten the Tigers at all since 2009.  Even with all the injuries I can't see that changing this weekend.

 Leicester
15 Niall Morris
14 Blaine Scully
13 Manu Tuilagi
12 Seremaia Bai
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Freddie Burns
9 Ben Youngs (c)
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
3 Fraser Balmain
4 Sebastian De Chaves
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Tom Croft
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane

Replacements
16 Tom Youngs
17 Tom Bristow
18 Tiziano Pasquali
19 Jamie Gibson
20 Robert Barbieri
21 David Mele
22 Owen Williams
23 Matt Smith

Newcastle:
15. Simon Hammersley
14. Sinoti Sinoti
13. Adam Powell
12. Juan Pablo Socino
11. Noah Cato
10. Phil Godman
9. Mike Blair
1. Rob Vickers
2. George McGuigan
3. Oliver Tomaszczyk
4. Calum Green
5. Josh Furno
6. Richard Mayhew
7. Will Welch (c)
8. Ally Hogg

Replacements:
16. Scott Lawson
17. Alex Rodgers
18. Kieran Brookes
19. Dom Barrow
20. Andy Saul
21. Ruki Tipuna
22. Alex Tuilagi
23. Gonzalo Teisi

Referee: Luke Pearce (27th Premiership game)
Touch Judges: Andy Watson & Nigel Carrick. TMO: David Grashoff.