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Team news: Tuilagi back for Tigers

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Manu Tuilagi makes his comeback from injury in the Leicester Tigers backline in Sunday's Aviva Premiership Round 16 fixture away to Newcastle Falcons.

Tuilagi, 22, has been sidelined since suffering a chest injury in the first meeting of the clubs in Round Three back in September.

He joins Dan Bowden in the Tigers midfield, with top try-scorer Vereniki Goneva moving to the wing after scoring the crucial third try in last week’s win over London Irish.

Director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “Manu has been unlucky with the injury and he’s just had to be patient. But he has been training well, he’s been able to do all his running and conditioning while the injury has healed and he’s raring to go again.”

The only changes in the forward pack from last weekend include a start for Tom Youngs at hooker and for Argentina international Pablo Matera in the back row.

Tigers will play in the club’s alternate white kit this weekend.

Leicester Tigers (v Newcastle Falcons, away, Sunday 2pm)
15 Mathew Tait
14 Blaine Scully
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Dan Bowden
11 Vereniki Goneva
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 Pablo Matera
8 Jordan Crane

Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Sebastian De Chaves
20 Thomas Waldrom
21 David Mele
22 Toby Flood
23 Adam Thompstone

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Noah Cato, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 Adam Powell, 11 Lee Smith, 10 Phil Godman, 9 Mike Blair; 1 Rob Vickers, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 Scott MacLeod, 5 Fraser McKenzie, 6 Will Welch (c), 7 Andy Saull, 8 Mark Wilson
Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Gary Strain, 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 19 Sean Tomes, 20 Chris York, 21 Warren Fury, 22 Joel Hodgson, 23 Danny Barnes