Leicester at full strength looking to halt Quins’ surge

The Premiership continues on Saturday as two matches take place, including the fixture between Leicester Tigers and play-off contenders Harlequins.

Wasps v Worcester Warriors

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett has made four changes to the starting line-up that faced Harlequins last time out for their home clash with Worcester.

Brad Shields captains the side in his 50th game for Wasps, and moves back to number eight, so that Ben Morris can start at blindside flanker. Thomas Young, now Wasps’ Premiership all-time highest try-scoring forward, completes the back-row at openside flanker.

Biyi Alo plays his first game of the season, as he starts at tighthead. He is joined in the front-row by Gabriel Oghre, who starts at hooker, with Tom West completing the front three.

The second-row pairing of James Gaskell and Will Rowlands remains unchanged.

The only new addition to the backline sees Charlie Atkinson start at full-back for the first time in his Wasps career.

Atkinson is joined in the back three by Josh Bassett and Zach Kibirige.

Inside of them, Paolo Odogwu and Malakai Fekitoa once again make up a powerful centre partnership. While Dan Robson and Jacob Umaga form an unchanged half-back partnership.

Amongst the replacements, Jimmy Gopperth is in line to make his 100th Premiership appearance for Wasps. He is joined on the bench by Sione Vailanu, Ben Vellacott, Tommy Taylor and Rob Miller.

Meanwhile, South Africa international centre Francois Venter will make his 50th appearance for Worcester in Saturday’s Premiership match.

Venter, 30, joined the Warriors from Cheetahs in the summer of 2018 and he has been a consistent performer since he made his debut against Wasps in the opening match of the 2018/19 season.

Venter, who scored a try against Exeter last week, continues his centre pairing with Ashley Beck with fit-again England international Ollie Lawrence named among the replacements.

There are three changes to the starting XV with Billy Searle recalled at fly-half to replace Fin Smith who has a sore shoulder. Searle will be facing the club he joined the Warriors from last summer.

Harri Doel will make his first start on the left wing having impressed in three appearances off the bench in recent weeks. Doel, a Wales U20 international, is currently on loan from Scarlets but will join Worcester on a permanent basis next season.

The only change to the pack is at tighthead prop where Richard Palframan starts in place of Nick Schonert who has been ruled out by the ankle injury he sustained in the first half at Exeter.

Wales international Scott Andrews, who has joined on loan from Cardiff Blues until the end of the season, is in line to make his debut having been named as replacement tighthead.

Experienced lock Anton Bresler and Samoa international wing Ed Fidow also return to the squad as replacements. Bresler has recovered from a head injury and Fidow from a hamstring problem.

Form: Wasps’ only victory in the last four rounds of Premiership Rugby was 39-29 at home to Bath on 25 April. That win against Bath was their first at the Ricoh Arena since 2 January. Worcester Warriors have lost their last eight Premiership matches since their declared win at home to Newcastle on 20 February. Warriors have won only once away from home in Premiership Rugby since November 2019: at London Irish in September 2020. Wasps have won their last 13 fixtures against the Warriors in the league since Worcester’s 29-23 victory at Sixways in March 2013. Worcester’s most recent win on Wasps soil came at High Wycombe on New Year’s Day 2012.

The teams:

Wasps: 15 Charlie Atkinson, 14 Zach Kibirige, 13 Paolo Odogwu, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Brad Shields (c), 7 Thomas Young, 6 Ben Morris, 5 James Gaskell, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Biyi Alo, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Tom West
Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19 Tim Cardall, 20 Sione Vailanu, 21 Ben Vellacott, 22 Jimmy Gopperth, 23 Rob Miller

Worcester: 15 Jamie Shillcock, 14 Perry Humphreys, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Harri Doel, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Matt Kvesic, 7 Sam Lewis, 6 Ted Hill (c), 5 Justin Clegg, 4 Andrew Kitchener, 3 Richard Palframan, 2 Niall Annett, 1 Ethan Waller
Replacements: 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Marc Thomas, 18 Scott Andrews, 19 Anton Bresler, 20 Joe Batley, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Ollie Lawrence, 23 Ed Fidow

Venue: Ricoh Arena
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Paul Dix, Jamie Leahy
TMO: Claire Hodnett

😰 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐠-𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

⚡️ @Alex_dombrandt with too much pace away at Tigers last time out. #COYQ pic.twitter.com/M3ailB4WP2

— Harlequins 🃏 (@Harlequins) May 14, 2021

Leicester Tigers v Harlequins

Tom Youngs returns to captain the Leicester side at hooker alongside Ellis Genge and Dan Cole in the front-row, with Harry Wells and Calum Green making up the tight five.

George Martin and Tommy Reffell are the Leicester flankers, taking the tally to six in the Tigers forward pack to have graduated from the club’s academy programme.

Jasper Wiese, who came off the bench against Sale Sharks in Round 18, is named to start at number eight in the back-row.

In the Leicester backline, Steve Borthwick has named the experienced pairing of Ben Youngs and George Ford as the half-backs, with youngster Dan Kelly joined in the Tigers midfield by Matt Scott.

Freddie Steward returns to full-back and is joined by wings Nemani Nadolo and Guy Porter in the back three.

Charlie Clare, Luan de Bruin, Joe Heyes, Hanro Liebenberg and Cyle Brink are the replacement forwards, with Richard Wigglesworth, Zack Henry and Kini Murimurivalu included as the backs on the Leicester bench.

Meanwhile, heading into the final four rounds of the regular season, there are two changes to the Quins starting line-up that claimed a dramatic late win over Wasps at The Stoop last weekend.

Wing Nathan Earle returns to start on the left wing, replacing the injured Cadan Murley, while James Lang is also restored to the starting XV at inside centre.

A backline re-jig changes see Luke Northmore switch from the twelve to the 13 jersey, with Joe Marchant starting on the right wing and Tyrone Green at full-back.

Back-row James Chisholm returns from injury for the first time since March to take a place amongst the replacements, while England Sevens man Will Edwards and Australian international Ben Tapuai replace Lang and the injured Paul Lasike on the bench in the 22 and 23 jerseys respectively.

Form: Leicester Tigers’ only victory in their last four first team matches was 33-24 at home to Ulster in the semi-final of the European Challenge Cup. The Tigers have lost only once at Mattioli Woods Welford Road since the end of January: 18-23 to Northampton in Round 17 of Premiership Rugby. Harlequins have won their last three Premiership matches and scored 17 tries in the process. Quins’ 25-21 victory at London Irish in Round 17 ended a three-game losing run away from home in the league. Harlequins are unbeaten in their last four encounters with Leicester since the Tigers 35-24 victory at Welford Road in December 2018.

The teams:

Leicester: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Guy Porter, 13 Matt Scott, 12 Dan Kelly, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 George Martin, 5 Calum Green, 4 Harry Wells, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs (c), 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Luan de Bruin, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Hanro Liebenberg, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Zack Henry, 23 Kini Murimurivalu

Harlequins: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Joe Marchant, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 James Lang, 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Danny Care, 8 Alex Dombrandt, 7 Jack Kenningham, 6 Tom Lawday, 5 Stephan Lewies (c), 4 Matt Symons, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Scott Baldwin, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Will Collier, 19 Dino Lamb, 20 James Chisholm, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Will Edwards, 23 Ben Tapuai

Venue: Welford Road
Kick-off: 15:30 BST (14:30 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley, Wayne Barnes
TMO: Tom Foley