Leicester Tigers face ASM Clermont Auvergne in the club’s first home game of the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup pool stages on Saturday afternoon.
Tigers welcome the French club to Mattioli Woods Welford Road for the fifth time in the fixture’s history - the tenth meeting at all venues between the two sides.
Steve Borthwick has made eight changes to his starting side from the team that defeated Ospreys away from home on the opening weekend of this season’s European campaign.
The changes include a new-look front-row of James Cronin, Julián Montoya and Dan Cole, with the latter set to become just the 36th player in Leicester Tigers history to make 300 senior club appearances when he runs out on Saturday.
It will be Cole’s 49th starting appearance in Europe and 69th overall, second only to Ben Youngs (78) - who returns to start at scrum-half - in the Tigers side for appearances in the competition.
Jasper Wiese, who is starting at No.8 after being rested for the Welsh trip, will make his 50th Leicester Tigers appearance.
Leicester and Clermont met twice in last season’s Heineken Champions Cup, on back-to-back weekends in the Round of 16, with Tigers winning both encounters.
Both teams enter the match having won their opening rounds, with Clermont defeating South African side The Stormers 24-14 in France.
Heineken Champions Cup 2022/23
Leicester Tigers v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Sunday, December 17
Kick Off: 3.15pm
Both sides will pay tribute to the life and contribution of John Allen to Leicester Tigers after his passing last week.
