Leigh Halfpenny returns to face former club Toulon

Adam Kyriacou

The Challenge Cup quarter-finals continue over the weekend as two games take place on Saturday before Sunday’s match at Welford Road.

Saturday

Bordeaux-Bègles v Edinburgh

Edinburgh have named a reshuffled starting XV for their Challenge Cup quarter-final against Bordeaux-Bègles at Stade Chaban Delmas.

Head coach Richard Cockerill makes seven changes altogether – four to the backline and three in the forward pack – as the capital side prepare to face the Top 14 club for the third time this season.

In the backs, Damien Hoyland, James Johnstone and Charlie Shiel replace the injured Duhan van der Merwe, Mark Bennett and Nic Groom, while centre George Taylor gets the nod in midfield.

In the forwards, front-row duo Pierre Schoeman and Simon Berghan form a new prop pairing as Scotland flanker Jamie Ritchie is handed his first start since the capital side returned to competitive action last month.

Blair Kinghorn – whose eight scores make him the club’s leading Challenge Cup try-scorer – continues at full-back as wingers Darcy Graham and Hoyland are named on opposite flanks.

An all-new centre pairing sees Taylor and Johnstone selected in midfield, while scrum-half Shiel and fly-half Jaco van der Walt form a new-look half-back combination.

Captain Stuart McInally is once again named at hooker and packs down alongside props Schoeman and Berghan. Club centurions and locks Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis continue in the second-row.

The inclusion of Ritchie is the only alteration to an otherwise unchanged back-row as Hamish Watson and Viliame Mata complete the pack.

Meanwhile, Bordeaux-Bègles have named a high-class side as they look to book their passage to the last four at the expense of their Scottish visitors.

A lethal back three sees Nans Ducuing, Santiago Cordero and Ben Lam link up while Yann Lesgourgues and Matthieu Jalibert provide the class in the half-backs.

Jefferson Poirot skippers the French side from loosehead prop while in the second-row there’s power in the shape of Kane Douglas and Jandré Marais, with Mahamadou Diaby, Guido Petti and Marco Tauleigne the back-row trio.

The teams:

Bordeaux-Bègles: 15 Nans Ducuing, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Jean-Baptiste Dubié, 12 Ulupano Seuteni, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Yann Lesgourgues, 8 Marco Tauleigne, 7 Guido Petti, 6 Mahamadou Diaby, 5 Jandré Marais, 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 2 Clement Maynadier, 1 Jefferson Poirot (c)
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Lekso Kaulashvili, 18 Ben Tameifuna, 19 Cyril Cazeaux, 20 Cameron Woki, 21 Maxime Lucu, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Pablo Uberti

Edinburgh: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 James Johnstone, 12 George Taylor, 11 Damien Hoyland, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Charlie Shiel, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Ben Toolis, 3 Simon Berghan, 2 Stuart McInally (c), 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Mike Willemse, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Murray McCallum, 19 Andrew Davidson, 20 Magnus Bradbury, 21 Nick Haining, 22 Dan Nutton, 23 Chris Dean

Venue: Stade Chaban-Delmas
Kick-off: 13:30 local (12:30 BST)
Referee: Frank Murphy
Assistant referees: Tual Trainini, Cedric Marchat
TMO: Eris Briquet-Campin

Toulon v Scarlets

Gargantuan lock Romain Taofifenua returns to the Toulon team to face the Scarlets in the Challenge Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

Taofifenua is partnered by Swan Rebbadj in the second-row and is the only change among the forwards.

There are a few alterations behind the scrum, however, with Gabin Villière coming in on the wing and Bryce Heem shifting to centre in place of Julien Hériteau.

Finally, Daniel Ikpefan replaces Ramiro Moyano at full-back after starting on the bench in their last match against Lyon in the Top 14.

Meanwhile, Johnny Williams and Sione Kalamafoni have been handed their Scarlets’ European debuts for Saturday’s quarter-final against Toulon.

Both summer signings are included in a side showing five changes to the line-up that took the field against the Dragons in the Scarlets’ last match of the PRO14 season.

Wales and British & Irish Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny returns to face his former side, linking up with Johnny McNicholl and Steff Evans in an all-international back three.

Williams and Steff Hughes continue their midfield combination, while Wales scrum-half Gareth Davies has recovered from injury to partner Dan Jones at half-back.

Skipper Ken Owens, Wyn Jones and Samson Lee pack down in the front-row and behind them Tongan international Sam Lousi starts at lock alongside Jake Ball.

In a reshuffled back-row, the PRO14’s turnover king Josh Macleod gets the nod at openside; Kalamafoni, who featured for Leicester Tigers in the pool stages of the tournament, wears the number eight jersey and Scotland international Blade Thomson has recovered from an Achilles issue to start at blindside.

On the bench, Ryan Elias, Phil Price and Javan Sebastian provide front-row cover with Lewis Rawlins and James Davies the other forward replacements. Kieran Hardy, Angus O’Brien and Tyler Morgan cover the backs. Morgan is set to make his first Scarlets appearance since joining from the Dragons.

The Scarlets and Toulon faced each other twice during the pool stages. A last-gasp converted try grabbed a 17-16 victory for the French side in November. The three-times European champions then claimed a crucial 27-15 win at Parc y Scarlets in January to ensure they topped the group.

The teams:

Toulon: 15 Daniel Ikpefan, 14 Masivesi Dakuwaqa, 13 Bryce Heem, 12 Duncan Paia’aua, 11 Gabin Villière, 10 Baptiste Serin, 9 Tane Takulua, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Raphael Lakafia, 6 Charles Ollivon, 5 Romain Taofifenua, 4 Swan Rebbadj, 3 Beka Gigashvili, 2 Anthony Etrillard (c), 1 Jean Baptiste-Gros
Replacements: 16 Bastien Soury, 17 Florian Fresia, 18 Emerick Setiano, 19 Erwan Dridi, 20 Brian Alainu’uese, 21 Julien Ory, 22 Louis Carbonel, 23 Facundo Isa

Scarlets: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 Steff Hughes, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Steff Evans, 10 Dan Jones, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Josh Macleod, 6 Blade Thomson, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Jake Ball, 3 Samson Lee, 2 Ken Owens (c), 1 Wyn Jones
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Phil Price, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Lewis Rawlins, 20 James Davies, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Angus O’Brien, 23 Tyler Morgan

Venue: Stade Félix Mayol
Kick-off: 21:15 local (20:15 BST)
Referee: Andrew Brace
Assistant referees: Maxime Chalon, Vincent Blasco Baque
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure

Sunday

Leicester Tigers v Castres

George Ford, Jaco Taute and Tommy Reffell return to the Leicester matchday squad for Sunday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final against Castres at Welford Road.

The trio, who missed the win over Northampton Saints last weekend, have been included in the starting line-up for the knockout stage and are joined by Ellis Genge as the only four changes to the starting side from the derby day victory.

Genge, who came off the bench against Saints, joins club captain Tom Youngs and fellow England international Dan Cole in the front-row.

The second-row is unchanged, with Tomás Lavanini and Calum Green as the locks.

Reffell returns at openside flanker, after missing four fixtures with a knee complaint, to join Harry Wells and Hanro Liebenberg in the Leicester back-row.

Ben Youngs, who made his 250th appearance for the club in the win over Saints, is joined by Ford as the half-backs.

Meanwhile, Taute is at outside centre alongside Matt Scott in the midfield and the unchanged back three includes Nemani Nadolo, Kini Murimurivalu and Freddie Steward.

Charlie Clare, Facundo Gigena, Nephi Leatigaga are the front-row cover, with back-rowers Luke Wallace and Jordan Taufua the other forwards on the bench. Ben White, Zack Henry and Harry Potter are the backs included among the replacements.

Meanwhile, Castres are led by scrum-half Rory Kockott who starts alongside Benjamin Urdapilleta in the half-backs.

Florian Vialelle and Thomas Combezou form the midfield while Filipo Nakosi, Geoffrey Palis and Julien Dumora complete the backline as a dangerous back three.

Up front Antoine Tichit is joined in the front-row by Matthew Tierney and Gaetan Barlot while Canada international Tyler Ardron starts at number eight.

The teams:

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Kini Murimurivalu, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Harry Wells, 5 Calum Green, 4 Tomas Lavanini, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs (c), 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Nephi Leatigaga, 19 Jordan Taufua, 20 Luke Wallace, 21 Ben White, 22 Zack Henry, 23 Harry Potter

Castres: 15 Julien Dumora, 14 Geoffrey Palis, 13 Thomas Combezou, 12 Florian Vialelle, 11 Filipo Nakosi, 10 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 9 Rory Kockott (c), 8 Tyler Ardron, 7 Kevin Kornath, 6 Baptiste Delaporte, 5 Hans N’Kinsi, 4 Ryno Pieterse, 3 Matthew Tierney, 2 Gaetan Barlot, 1 Antoine Tichit
Replacements: 16 Pierre Colonna, 17 Julius Nostadt, 18 Wilfrid Hounkpatin, 19 Dorian Clerc, 20 Mathieu Babillot, 21 Maama Vaipulu, 22 Bastien Guillemin, 23 Vilimoni Botitu

Venue: Welford Road
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Referee: Mike Adamson
Assistant referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys, Adam Leal
TMO: Graham Hughes