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Team news: Tigers vs Chiefs

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Manu Tuilagi makes his first home appearance since the opening month of the season as Leicester Tigers host Exeter Chiefs in Aviva Premiership Round 17 at Welford Road on Sunday (2pm).

The 22-year-old Tuilagi returned from a five-month absence due to a chest muscle injury to play in the win at Newcastle Falcons in the last round and then gained his 22nd senior cap with England in the win over Italy last weekend.

Tuilagi teams up with Anthony Allen at centre, while Dan Bowden has been ruled out after appendix surgery.

Top try-scorer Vereniki Goneva and Adam Thompstone are on the wings and Mathew Tait is at full-back as Tigers begin the six-game run-in to the end of the season.

Scrum-half Ben Youngs makes the 100th starting appearance of his Tigers career, with Owen Williams at fly-half.

Ed Slater leads the team as captain and Julian Salvi returns to the back row.

Graham Kitchener returns to fitness and claims a place among the replacements.

Around 1,000 tickets remain on sale for Sunday’s fixture from the Tigers ticket office. Phone 0844 856 1880 or call in at Welford Road to book (open until 5pm Friday, 9am-5pm Saturday and from 9am on matchday). Or book online here.

Leicester Tigers (v Exeter Chiefs, Welford Road, Sunday 2pm)
15 Mathew Tait
14 Vereniki Goneva
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Owen Williams
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Logovi’i Mulipola
4 Louis Deacon
5 Ed Slater (c)
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane

Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Thomas Waldrom
21 David Mele
22 Toby Flood
23 Scott Hamilton

Exeter Chiefs
15 Luke Arscott
14 Jack Nowell
13 Ian Whitten
12 Phil Dollman
11 Fetu'u Vainikolo
10 Henry Slade
9 Dave Lewis
1 Ben Moon
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Hoani Tui
4 Dean Mumm (c)
5 Damian Welch
6 Dave Ewers
7 Ben White
8 Kai Horstmann

Replacements
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie
17 Carl Rimmer
18 Alex Brown
19 Don Armand
20 Tom Johnson
21 Haydn Thomas
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Matt Jess