The top two teams in Pool 2 of the Premiership Rugby Cup meet this evening as Leicester Tigers travel to Newcastle Falcons.
Tigers go to Kingston Park as pool leaders with nine points after back-to-back wins over Sale Sharks and Wasps in the earlier rounds, but Falcons are just three points behind, with Sale Sharks on four points and Wasps with one.
Brett Deacon leads the Tigers coaching group in this competition and the team includes six players who could make their club debut and five others who are set to start in club colours for a first time after previous experience off the bench.
There are six Tigers Academy graduates including Jonny Law, Archie Vanes and England Under-20s caps Sam Edwards and Jacob Cusick in a team captained by Jaco Taute, who makes his first appearance of the season.
Falcons scored five tries in a 34-27 win over Wasps in Round 1 and then took a point from a 25-20 defeat at Sale Sharks in Round 2.
Alex Tait, Luther Burrell and captain Callum Chick are the experienced names in the team announced by Falcons, while England international hooker Jamie Blamire has been named as back-row cover among the replacements.
“It’s a break from the intensity of the Gallagher Premiership, but at the same time it’s another opportunity for us to work towards a victory,” said coach Dave Walder, a two-time Cup winner with Falcons as a player.
“It will give a number of our players the chance to show the coaches what they’ve got, but it’s a game that we’re taking seriously and a trophy we want to win.
“We’ve got some new faces coming into the picture – guys who have trained all year and been really patient despite the lack of playing opportunities.
“It’s a chance to put some spring back into our season, because we’ve dropped off after a great start. Once you start to lose momentum in a league as tough as the Premiership it’s hard to get it back. But it’s about moving forward now and really looking to push for a positive last third of the season. That all starts on Friday.”
The three pool winners and the highest-ranked second-place team across all three pools qualify for the semi-finals.
If teams are level in the pool standings, ranking is determined by number of wins. If still equal, placings are then decided by points difference, most points for, number of tries, least number of red cards or, finally, a draw conducted by the tournament director.
The clubs ranked No1 and 2 after the pool stages will play at home in the semi-finals, scheduled for a midweek date in April. The final is played at the home of the highest-ranked finalist.
For full details of the club format, click here.
Referee on Friday is Sara Cox.
Tigers will be in change colours of white, black and orange.
There is live coverage of the game with BT Sport, with added graphics and analysis using Smart Ball technology for the first time in a northern-hemisphere professional rugby competition. Click here to find out more.
You can also keep up to date with the Tigers’ Matchday Live service on app and website, and the club’s social media pages, including full post-match reaction.
The club's last game in the pool stages is at home to London Irish on Tuesday, March 29 (7.45pm). Match tickets are available now.
This weekend
Friday: Bristol Bears v Bath Rugby (7.45pm), London Irish v Harlequins (7.45pm), Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers (7.45pm)
Saturday: Sale Sharks v Wasps (1.00pm), Exeter Chiefs v Worcester Warriors (3.00pm), Saracens v Northampton Saints (3.00pm)
