International duo Telusa Veainu and JP Pietersen return to the Leicester Tigers backline for Saturday's home game against Bristol Rugby in Round 15 of the Aviva Premiership season.
Veainu has not played since suffering a head injury in the autumn international period with Tonga, while South Africa wing Pietersen returns from an arm injury to play for the first time since early December.
French centre Maxime Mermoz starts his first game for the club after a try-scoring appearance from the bench in the bonus-point win over Gloucester last weekend.
Sam Harrison teams up with Owen Williams at half-back after Freddie Burns was replaced in the first half against Gloucester following a knock to the head and there is a return to the forward pack for Mike Williams, with Mike Fitzgerald moving into the second row in place of Ed Slater this week.
Tom Croft is included among the replacements alongside prop Ellis Genge who has been training with the England squad this week.
Tigers head coach Aaron Mauger said: “JP and Telusa have been fully integrated into training during the last couple of weeks, they’ve helped to bring a spark to the training field and it’ll be good to get them back on the pitch.
“The real focus for us in the build-up to the last round was driving the energy and creating a more competitive environment in training and I thought that showed in the match.
“Lots of parts of the performance against Gloucester were very good but there is also work to do and we need to be better.”
Tickets for Saturday’s game are still available at the Tigers ticket office. Book in person at Welford Road, phone 0116 319 8888 (option 2) (open 9.00am-5.00pm Monday-Friday) or online by clicking here.
Leicester Tigers (v Bristol Rugby, Welford Road, Saturday 3.00pm)
15 Telusa Veainu
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Jack Roberts
12 Maxime Mermoz
11 JP Pietersen
10 Owen Williams
9 Sam Harrison
1 Michele Rizzo
2 Tom Youngs (c)
3 Pat Cilliers
4 Dom Barrow
5 Mike Fitzgerald
6 Mike Williams
7 Brendon O’Connor
8 Luke Hamilton
Replacements
16 George McGuigan
17 Ellis Genge
18 Greg Bateman
19 Tom Croft
20 Harry Thacker
21 Jono Kitto
22 Mathew Tait
23 Matt Smith
Bristol Rugby: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Jack Wallace, 13. Siale Piutau, 12. Tusi Pisi, 11. Thretton Palamo; 10. Adrian Jarvis, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Ryan Bevington, 2. Rob Hawkins, 3. Gaston Cortes, 4. Dan Tuohy, 5. Mark Sorenson, 6. Mitch Eadie, 7. Jack Lam, 8. Jordan Crane (c).
Replacements: 16. Marc Jones, 17. Jack O’Connell, 18. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19. James Phillips, 20. Sam Jeffries, 21. Alby Mathewson, 22. Gavin Henson, 23. Will Hurrell
Veainu has not played since suffering a head injury in the autumn international period with Tonga, while South Africa wing Pietersen returns from an arm injury to play for the first time since early December.
French centre Maxime Mermoz starts his first game for the club after a try-scoring appearance from the bench in the bonus-point win over Gloucester last weekend.
Sam Harrison teams up with Owen Williams at half-back after Freddie Burns was replaced in the first half against Gloucester following a knock to the head and there is a return to the forward pack for Mike Williams, with Mike Fitzgerald moving into the second row in place of Ed Slater this week.
Tom Croft is included among the replacements alongside prop Ellis Genge who has been training with the England squad this week.
Tigers head coach Aaron Mauger said: “JP and Telusa have been fully integrated into training during the last couple of weeks, they’ve helped to bring a spark to the training field and it’ll be good to get them back on the pitch.
“The real focus for us in the build-up to the last round was driving the energy and creating a more competitive environment in training and I thought that showed in the match.
“Lots of parts of the performance against Gloucester were very good but there is also work to do and we need to be better.”
Tickets for Saturday’s game are still available at the Tigers ticket office. Book in person at Welford Road, phone 0116 319 8888 (option 2) (open 9.00am-5.00pm Monday-Friday) or online by clicking here.
Leicester Tigers (v Bristol Rugby, Welford Road, Saturday 3.00pm)
15 Telusa Veainu
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Jack Roberts
12 Maxime Mermoz
11 JP Pietersen
10 Owen Williams
9 Sam Harrison
1 Michele Rizzo
2 Tom Youngs (c)
3 Pat Cilliers
4 Dom Barrow
5 Mike Fitzgerald
6 Mike Williams
7 Brendon O’Connor
8 Luke Hamilton
Replacements
16 George McGuigan
17 Ellis Genge
18 Greg Bateman
19 Tom Croft
20 Harry Thacker
21 Jono Kitto
22 Mathew Tait
23 Matt Smith
Bristol Rugby: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Jack Wallace, 13. Siale Piutau, 12. Tusi Pisi, 11. Thretton Palamo; 10. Adrian Jarvis, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Ryan Bevington, 2. Rob Hawkins, 3. Gaston Cortes, 4. Dan Tuohy, 5. Mark Sorenson, 6. Mitch Eadie, 7. Jack Lam, 8. Jordan Crane (c).
Replacements: 16. Marc Jones, 17. Jack O’Connell, 18. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19. James Phillips, 20. Sam Jeffries, 21. Alby Mathewson, 22. Gavin Henson, 23. Will Hurrell
