Leicester Tigers will kick off the new year in front of a sell-out Welford Road crowd for the visit of Guinness Premiership rivals Saracens on Monday (kick off 2.45pm). With the visitors climbing into fourth place in the table and in good form following four wins in their last five league games and 10 in their last 12 in all competitions, a good tussle is in prospect.
Sarries are one of only two sides in the Premiership to pick up two wins in the festive programme, and they will go into the match in confident mood.
Tigers hold second place in the table after just three defeats in the first half of the season's league programme.
Lock forward Leo Cullen will lead a Leicester Tigers team showing 12 changes from the side which started against London Irish on Boxing Day.
Only Ben Kay, Geordan Murphy and Alesana Tuilagi retain their starting positions, and all are included due to injuries elsewhere. Murphy is at full-back because Sam Vesty has been counted out by a calf injury,Tuilagi keeps his place on the wing due to Leon Lloyd's absence and Kay is in for Louis Deacon. The rest of the side closely resembles the line-up that beat Bristol at Welford Road on December 22.
As well as Vesty, Lloyd and Deacon, Tigers head coach Pat Howard is also without Henry Tuilagi (broken arm), Daryl Gibson (Achilles) and Tom Youngs who suffered a slight fracture in his left leg during his Premiership debut at Irish on Tuesday.
With the team announced more than 48 hours ahead of the game and following two matches in quick succession, Howard still has to finalise a couple of positions. Ian Humphreys or Andy Goode will start at fly-half, Lewis Moody or Tom Croft will provide back-row cover among the replacements and Seru Rabeni or Ollie Smith will take the final backs place on the bench.
Sarries are one of only two sides in the Premiership to pick up two wins in the festive programme, and they will go into the match in confident mood.
Tigers hold second place in the table after just three defeats in the first half of the season's league programme.
Lock forward Leo Cullen will lead a Leicester Tigers team showing 12 changes from the side which started against London Irish on Boxing Day.
Only Ben Kay, Geordan Murphy and Alesana Tuilagi retain their starting positions, and all are included due to injuries elsewhere. Murphy is at full-back because Sam Vesty has been counted out by a calf injury,Tuilagi keeps his place on the wing due to Leon Lloyd's absence and Kay is in for Louis Deacon. The rest of the side closely resembles the line-up that beat Bristol at Welford Road on December 22.
As well as Vesty, Lloyd and Deacon, Tigers head coach Pat Howard is also without Henry Tuilagi (broken arm), Daryl Gibson (Achilles) and Tom Youngs who suffered a slight fracture in his left leg during his Premiership debut at Irish on Tuesday.
With the team announced more than 48 hours ahead of the game and following two matches in quick succession, Howard still has to finalise a couple of positions. Ian Humphreys or Andy Goode will start at fly-half, Lewis Moody or Tom Croft will provide back-row cover among the replacements and Seru Rabeni or Ollie Smith will take the final backs place on the bench.
Leicester Tigers
15 Geordan Murphy
14 Alesana Tuilagi
13 Dan Hipkiss
12 Matt Cornwell
11 Tom Varndell
10 Ian Humphreys/Andy Goode
9 Scott Bemand
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 George Chuter
3 Julian White
4 Leo Cullen (capt)
5 Ben Kay
6 Luke Abraham
7 Shane Jennings
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 James Buckland
17 Martin Castrogiovanni
18 Martin Corry
19 Lewis Moody/Tom Croft
20 Frank Murphy
21 Paul Burke
22 Seru Rabeni/Ollie Smith
