The Leicester Tigers matchday squad for Friday’s Premiership Rugby Cup game against Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park has been named.
In his first appearance of the season, Jaco Taute captains the team at outside-centre with back-rower Olly Robinson named as vice-captain.
"I am excited for them, as well as the new guys who have joined up with us this week, to have this opportunity"
Brett Deacon
The matchday squad includes six players who will make their Leicester Tigers debut, as well as an additional five players who will make their first starting appearance for the club after having only appeared as replacements in previous outings.
Included in the matchday line-up are two members of the Nottingham Rugby squad in Josh Poullet and Nathan Tweedy.
Poullet returns to action for Tigers after appearing in the opening Premiership Cup game of the campaign, while Tweedy is in line for his debut after being named among the replacements.
The club also welcomes Loughborough Students RFC players David Aniebonam and David Douglas Bridge after the pair agreed short-term deals with Tigers.
Six Tigers Academy graduates are included in the matchday squad, including Morgan Meredith and Chester Owen who were members of this season’s squad which finished third in the Premiership Under-18 League.
Jacob Cusick and Sam Edwards are welcomed back for the Cup clash with Newcastle after the pair were released by England Under-20s ahead of the final weekend of their Six Nations fixtures.
As with the opening two rounds of this season’s Cup competition, Leicester Tigers Assistant Coach Brett Deacon has led the programme this week and will be in the coaches box at Kingston Park on Friday evening.
Previewing the Premiership Cup fixture, Deacon said: “This group has been chomping at the bit all week for this opportunity to represent the club on Friday night.
“A lot of these guys have been involved all season, training incredibly hard, and now have an opportunity to show Steve [Borthwick] and the rest of the coaching team what they can do.
“I am excited for them, as well as the new guys who have joined up with us this week, to have this opportunity.”
STARTING XV
15 Kini Murimurivalu [33]
14 Kobus van Wyk [17]
13 Jaco Taute (c) [18]
12 Juan Pablo Socino [6]
11 Hosea Saumaki [8]
10 Dan Lancaster [2]
9 Jonny Law [3]
1 Francois van Wyk [13]
2 Archie Vanes [2]
3 Will Hurd [4]
4 Josh Poullet [1]
5 David Douglas Bridge *
6 Tomiwa Agbongbon [2]
7 Olly Robinson (vc) [4]
8 Sean Jansen *
REPLACEMENTS
16 David Aniebonam *
17 Dan Richardson [2]
18 Nephi Leatigaga [61]
19 Chester Owen *
20 Nathan Tweedy *
21 Sam Edwards [1]
22 Morgan Meredith *
23 Jacob Cusick [2]
* Leicester Tigers debut
Falcons XV: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Ollie Lindsay-Hague, 13 Max Wright, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Louis Schreuder; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Charlie Maddison, 3 Richard Palframan, 4 George Merrick, 5 Rob Farrar, 6 Callum Chick (c), 7 Freddie Lockwood, 8 Tom Marshall
Falcons Replacements: 16 Robbie Smith, 17 Conrad Cade, 18 Mark Tampin, 19 Matthew Dalton, 20 Jamie Blamire, 21 James Blackett, 22 Joel Hodgson, 23 Zach Kerr
