Ben Youngs is in line to make his 200th first-team appearance for Leicester Tigers in Saturday's Aviva Premiership Round 19 encounter with Bath Rugby at Twickenham Stadium.
Scrum-half Youngs made his debut as a 17-year-old during the 2006/07 season and is a four-time Premiership title winner in his time with the Tigers as well as playing in 70 Tests with England and in two with the British & Irish Lions.
He is joined at half-back on Saturday by Freddie Burns who makes his 50th Premiership appearance for the club.
The starting line-up is unchanged from the club’s last Premiership outing, the derby victory over Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens a fortnight ago, as Tigers run out for the first time since the arrival of new head coach Matt O’Connor.
There are two changes among the replacements where forwards Fraser Balmain and Harry Thacker are included.
Assistant coach Geordan Murphy said: “We had a very good performance in the win at Saints but it wasn’t an 80-minute performance and that is something to work on. But it was great to stick with it and grind out the win against tough opponents. We have fought hard to get into the position we are in now but we have four big games left.
“Matt O'Connor has been highly involved this week, he knows what’s going on, he knows the players and we crack on.”
Leicester Tigers (v Bath Rugby, Twickenham Stadium, Saturday, 2.00pm)
15 Telusa Veainu
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Mathew Tait
12 Maxime Mermoz
11 JP Pietersen
10 Freddie Burns
9 Ben Youngs
1 Ellis Genge
2 Tom Youngs (c)
3 Dan Cole
4 Dom Barrow
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Mike Fitzgerald
7 Brendon O’Connor
8 Luke Hamilton
Replacements
16 George McGuigan
17 Michele Rizzo
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Mike Williams
20 Harry Thacker
21 Ben White
22 Owen Williams
23 Jack Roberts
Bath Rugby: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 George Ford (co-capt), 9 Kahn Fotuali’I; 1 Nathan Catt, 2 Ross Batty, 3 Kane Palma-Newport, 4 Charlie Ewels, 5 Elliott Stooke, 6 Tom Ellis, 7 Francois Louw (co-capt), 8 Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: 16 Chris Brooker, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Shaun Knight, 19 David Denton, 20 Zach Mercer, 21 Chris Cook, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Tom Homer
Scrum-half Youngs made his debut as a 17-year-old during the 2006/07 season and is a four-time Premiership title winner in his time with the Tigers as well as playing in 70 Tests with England and in two with the British & Irish Lions.
He is joined at half-back on Saturday by Freddie Burns who makes his 50th Premiership appearance for the club.
The starting line-up is unchanged from the club’s last Premiership outing, the derby victory over Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens a fortnight ago, as Tigers run out for the first time since the arrival of new head coach Matt O’Connor.
There are two changes among the replacements where forwards Fraser Balmain and Harry Thacker are included.
Assistant coach Geordan Murphy said: “We had a very good performance in the win at Saints but it wasn’t an 80-minute performance and that is something to work on. But it was great to stick with it and grind out the win against tough opponents. We have fought hard to get into the position we are in now but we have four big games left.
“Matt O'Connor has been highly involved this week, he knows what’s going on, he knows the players and we crack on.”
Leicester Tigers (v Bath Rugby, Twickenham Stadium, Saturday, 2.00pm)
15 Telusa Veainu
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Mathew Tait
12 Maxime Mermoz
11 JP Pietersen
10 Freddie Burns
9 Ben Youngs
1 Ellis Genge
2 Tom Youngs (c)
3 Dan Cole
4 Dom Barrow
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Mike Fitzgerald
7 Brendon O’Connor
8 Luke Hamilton
Replacements
16 George McGuigan
17 Michele Rizzo
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Mike Williams
20 Harry Thacker
21 Ben White
22 Owen Williams
23 Jack Roberts
Bath Rugby: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 George Ford (co-capt), 9 Kahn Fotuali’I; 1 Nathan Catt, 2 Ross Batty, 3 Kane Palma-Newport, 4 Charlie Ewels, 5 Elliott Stooke, 6 Tom Ellis, 7 Francois Louw (co-capt), 8 Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: 16 Chris Brooker, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Shaun Knight, 19 David Denton, 20 Zach Mercer, 21 Chris Cook, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Tom Homer
