Tonga World Cup star returns for Leicester
Leicester Tigers welcome back the first of their Rugby World Cup players with Tonga international Sione Kalamafoni included in the matchday 23 for Sunday’s Premiership fixture at home to Saracens.
Kalamafoni returns to the squad after playing in his third World Cup tournament and will make his first appearance of the club season after being named among the replacements.
South African centre EW Viljoen plays his first game at Welford Road and he is joined by Kyle Eastmond who missed the Round One trip to Worcester Warriors due to illness.
The only change in the forward pack is the inclusion of Jake Kerr at hooker, with club captain Tom Youngs ruled out by a knock from the Warriors game. Calum Green takes over as captain in a league game for the first time.
Charlie Clare could make his first Premiership appearance for the club as he is included among the replacements.
Meanwhile, academy fly-half Manu Vunipola will make the second Premiership start of his career when Saracens take on Leicester Tigers.
The England U20 youngster impressed during the Men in Black’s Premiership Rugby Cup matches and steps up to take the 10 shirt following an injury to Alex Goode.
Number eight Jackson Wray takes the captaincy role in Goode and Brad Barritt’s absence and leads a side with three further changes to the starting XV from the opening day.
Front-row duo Richard Barrington and Tom Woolstencroft are back in the pack and Sean Maitland appears in a Saracens line-up for the first time upon his return from the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Fellow Scotland international Duncan Taylor is named as a replacement and is set for his first competitive club outing since April 2018.
Barritt, Goode, Mike Rhodes, Max Malins, Dom Morris, Kapeli Pifeleti and Juan Figallo are unavailable for Sunday’s match due to injury while Josh Ibuanokpe remains suspended.
Form: Leicester Tigers have lost their last four Premiership Rugby matches but have not lost five in a row in the competition since 2003. The Tigers only victory in their last six matches at Welford Road was against Exeter in the Premiership Rugby Cup on 27 September. Saracens have won just one of their last seven away games in Premiership Rugby: 31-14 at Wasps in round 20 last season and have not been defeated in their opening two rounds of a Premiership Rugby campaign since 2008/09. Saracens have lost just one of their last seven Premiership Rugby fixtures against Tigers: 20-28 at Allianz Park in February 2018. Saracens were winless in their first thirty-two visits to Welford Road since 1964 until their first victory there in 2010, they have now lost on only three of their last eleven visits.
The teams:
Leicester Tigers: 15 George Worth, 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Jonah Holmes, 10 Noel Reid, 9 Ben White, 8 Guy Thompson, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 5 Calum Green (c), 4 Will Spencer, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jake Kerr, 1 Greg Bateman
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Nephi Leatigaga, 19 Harry Wells, 20 Sione Kalamafoni, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Tom Hardwick, 23 Jordan Olowofela
Saracens: 15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Alex Lewington, 10 Manu Vunipola, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Jackson Wray (c), 7 Ben Earl, 6 Calum Clark, 5 Nick Isiekwe, 4 Will Skelton, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Tom Woolstencroft, 1 Richard Barrington
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Ralph Adams-Hale, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Joel Kpoku, 20 Callum Hunter-Hill, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Duncan Taylor, 23 Rotimi Segun
Venue: Welford Road
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Jack Makepeace, Simon McConnell
TMO: Stuart Terheege
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