Geordan Murphy is looking for continued improvement in the Leicester Tigers squad after confirming his line-up for the finals of the Premiership Rugby Sevens Series on Friday.
Tigers came through the qualifying round at Darlington last Saturday, claiming second spot in Group D and a place in the finals at The Twickenham Stoop.
They kick off finals night against Cardiff Blues in the first quarter-final at 6pm on Friday, with a semi-final against defending champions Gloucester Rugby or Northampton Saints in the semi-finals waiting for the winners.
Tigers make just two changes to the line-up from the first round, with Gary Dipple and Ben Frankland replacing George Catchpole and Tomi Jones.
George Tresidder, who also played last year when Tigers went all the way to the final, takes over from Catchpole as captain. Jake Farnworth is the other survivor from last season’s competition.
Coach Murphy said: “I was very pleased with the performance last Saturday. The team improved with every game and that was pleasing. Now we want to build on that.
“We’ve had to make a couple of changes, but we will have the basis of the squad from last weekend and if they all represent the club with the passion and the commitment they showed in the qualifier then we’ll be happy.
“It’s a young squad so it’s an experience for them all to play at a higher level, in front of a decent crowd and a TV audience.”
Buy official face value tickets direct from StubHub.co.uk for the Premiership Rugby 7s Final by clicking here.
Leicester Tigers squad (Premiership Rugby Sevens Series Finals)
1 Will Owen
2 Jake Farnworth
3 Gary Dipple
4 Ben Frankland
5 Rhys Williams
6 George Tresidder (c)
7 Josh Fowles
8 Andy Bulumakau
9 Phil Woodhead
10 David Williams
11 Oli Bryant
12 Dan Rundle
Gloucester Rugby: 1 Sam Showering, 2 Jacob Rowan, 3 Dan Thomas, 4 Bill Meakes, 5 Sam Underhill, 6 Rhodri McAtee, 7 Aled Thomas (c), 8 Lloyd Evans, 9 Henry Purdy, 10 Ollie Thorley, 11 Callum Braley, 12 Steph Reynolds
Harlequins: 1 Izzy Fao’I, 2 Jack Maslen, 3 Ian Clark, 4 Sam Aspland Robinson, 5 Simon Pitfield, 6 Henry Cheeseman, 7 Alosio Yamoyamo, 8 James Chisholm, 9 Jordan Burns, 10 Gavin Dampies, 11 Ollie Lindsay Hague (c), 12 Joe Marchant
London Irish: 1 Simon Hunt, 2 Connor Murphy, 3 Ollie Curry (c), 4 Patrick O'Grady, 5 Will Harries, 6 Ollie Williams, 7 Cam Cowell, 8 Johny Williams, 9 Jamie Hearn, 10 Theo Brophy Clewes, 11 Declan Williams, 12 Ollie Adams
Newcastle Falcons: 1 Tom Catterick (c), 2 James Christie, 3 Andy Davies, 4 Chris Harris, 5 Scott Lawson, 6 Ben Morris, 7 Robinson, 8 Dan Temm, 9 Brian Tuilagi, 10 Willis, 11 Tom Wilson, 12 Glen Young
Northampton Saints: 1 Josh Skelcey, 2 George Cox, 3 Glenn Dickson, 4 Tim Cardall, 5 Jacob Conner, 6 Rory Hutchinson, 7 Will Allman, 8 Teimana Harrison, 9 Phil Robinson, 10 Sam Olver (c), 11 Howard Packman, 12 Matt Goode
Cardiff Blues: 1 Rhys Shellard, 2 Jevon Groves, 3 Richard Smith (c), 4 Dafi Davies, 5 Ben Roach, 6 Garyn Smith, 7 Thomas Williams, 8 Owen Jenkins, 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Geraint Walsh, 11 Dan Fish, 12 Harry Davies
Newport Gwent Dragons: 1 Angus O’Brien, 2 Dorian Jones, 3 Owen Davies, 4 Jonny Lewis, 5 Luke Morgan, 6 Matthew Pewtner, 7 Rhys Jones, 8 James Thomas, 9 James Cordy-Redden, 10 Lewis Hudd, 11 Ollie Griffiths, 12 Sam Cross (c)
Tigers came through the qualifying round at Darlington last Saturday, claiming second spot in Group D and a place in the finals at The Twickenham Stoop.
They kick off finals night against Cardiff Blues in the first quarter-final at 6pm on Friday, with a semi-final against defending champions Gloucester Rugby or Northampton Saints in the semi-finals waiting for the winners.
Tigers make just two changes to the line-up from the first round, with Gary Dipple and Ben Frankland replacing George Catchpole and Tomi Jones.
George Tresidder, who also played last year when Tigers went all the way to the final, takes over from Catchpole as captain. Jake Farnworth is the other survivor from last season’s competition.
Coach Murphy said: “I was very pleased with the performance last Saturday. The team improved with every game and that was pleasing. Now we want to build on that.
“We’ve had to make a couple of changes, but we will have the basis of the squad from last weekend and if they all represent the club with the passion and the commitment they showed in the qualifier then we’ll be happy.
“It’s a young squad so it’s an experience for them all to play at a higher level, in front of a decent crowd and a TV audience.”
Buy official face value tickets direct from StubHub.co.uk for the Premiership Rugby 7s Final by clicking here.
Leicester Tigers squad (Premiership Rugby Sevens Series Finals)
1 Will Owen
2 Jake Farnworth
3 Gary Dipple
4 Ben Frankland
5 Rhys Williams
6 George Tresidder (c)
7 Josh Fowles
8 Andy Bulumakau
9 Phil Woodhead
10 David Williams
11 Oli Bryant
12 Dan Rundle
Gloucester Rugby: 1 Sam Showering, 2 Jacob Rowan, 3 Dan Thomas, 4 Bill Meakes, 5 Sam Underhill, 6 Rhodri McAtee, 7 Aled Thomas (c), 8 Lloyd Evans, 9 Henry Purdy, 10 Ollie Thorley, 11 Callum Braley, 12 Steph Reynolds
Harlequins: 1 Izzy Fao’I, 2 Jack Maslen, 3 Ian Clark, 4 Sam Aspland Robinson, 5 Simon Pitfield, 6 Henry Cheeseman, 7 Alosio Yamoyamo, 8 James Chisholm, 9 Jordan Burns, 10 Gavin Dampies, 11 Ollie Lindsay Hague (c), 12 Joe Marchant
London Irish: 1 Simon Hunt, 2 Connor Murphy, 3 Ollie Curry (c), 4 Patrick O'Grady, 5 Will Harries, 6 Ollie Williams, 7 Cam Cowell, 8 Johny Williams, 9 Jamie Hearn, 10 Theo Brophy Clewes, 11 Declan Williams, 12 Ollie Adams
Newcastle Falcons: 1 Tom Catterick (c), 2 James Christie, 3 Andy Davies, 4 Chris Harris, 5 Scott Lawson, 6 Ben Morris, 7 Robinson, 8 Dan Temm, 9 Brian Tuilagi, 10 Willis, 11 Tom Wilson, 12 Glen Young
Northampton Saints: 1 Josh Skelcey, 2 George Cox, 3 Glenn Dickson, 4 Tim Cardall, 5 Jacob Conner, 6 Rory Hutchinson, 7 Will Allman, 8 Teimana Harrison, 9 Phil Robinson, 10 Sam Olver (c), 11 Howard Packman, 12 Matt Goode
Cardiff Blues: 1 Rhys Shellard, 2 Jevon Groves, 3 Richard Smith (c), 4 Dafi Davies, 5 Ben Roach, 6 Garyn Smith, 7 Thomas Williams, 8 Owen Jenkins, 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Geraint Walsh, 11 Dan Fish, 12 Harry Davies
Newport Gwent Dragons: 1 Angus O’Brien, 2 Dorian Jones, 3 Owen Davies, 4 Jonny Lewis, 5 Luke Morgan, 6 Matthew Pewtner, 7 Rhys Jones, 8 James Thomas, 9 James Cordy-Redden, 10 Lewis Hudd, 11 Ollie Griffiths, 12 Sam Cross (c)
