Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks teams: British & Irish Lions forward returns as second hosts third in Premiership
Jonny Hill starts for Sale Sharks against Leicester Tigers.
Round 16 of the Premiership kicks off with a blockbuster fixture as two of the in-form teams, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks, collide at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
It is second v third in the league on Friday and Tigers boss Michael Cheika is boosted by the return from injury of the experienced trio of Olly Cracknell, James Cronin and Matt Rogerson.
Cracknell, who missed Leicester‘s last outing, returns to start at number eight for his 19th appearance of the campaign.
Cronin is back after 12 weeks on the sidelines, having last played in February’s Premiership Rugby Cup clash with Coventry, while Rogerson returns after missing just one game, with his last appearance coming in the away win over Bristol Bears.
Strong half-back duo
In the backline, Jack van Poortvliet and Handre Pollard will once again link up in the half-backs while Joe Woodward and Solomone Kata continue in midfield.
The in-form Freddie Steward is at full-back while there’s two lightning fast wings out wide in the shape of Ollie Hassell-Collins and Adam Radwan for Tigers.
Meanwhile, lock Jonny Hill returns to Sale‘s starting XV as Alex Sanderson makes just one change to his team to face Cheika’s men in this Premiership tussle.
It’s the same again for Sanderson in the front-row with hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie starting between England team-mates Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
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Hill returns to partner Ben Bamber in the second-row while flankers Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry team up once again with Jean-Luc du Preez at number eight.
The backs are unchanged with Gus Warr and George Ford combining again at half-back and Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and ever-present skipper Rob du Preez at centre.
In the back three, Scotland international Arron Reed starts again on the left wing with Tom Roebuck donning 14. Joe Carpenter continues in the number 15 jersey.
Si McIntyre, Wales prop WillGriff John and hooker Tadgh McElroy are the front-row replacements with Hyron Andrews, Ben Curry and Dan du Preez the other forwards on the bench.
England scrum-half Raffi Quirke and Tom O’Flaherty are the backline replacements.
The teams
Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Solomone Kata, 12 Joseph Woodward, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Olly Cracknell, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Cameron Henderson, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 James Cronin, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Matt Rogerson, 20 Emeka Ilione, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Dan Kelly
Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Rob du Preez (c), 12 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11 Arron Reed, 10 George Ford, 9 Gus Warr, 8 JL du Preez, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ernst van Rhyn, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Ben Bamber, 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Bevan Rodd
Replacements: 16 Tadgh McElroy, 17 Si McIntyre, 18 WillGriff John, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Dan du Preez, 22 Raffi Quirke, 23 Tom O’Flaherty
Venue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Kick-off: 19:45 BST (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant Referees: Joe James, Wayne Falla
TMO: Dean Richards