As the Leicester Tigers senior squad prepare for the opening round of this season’s Gallagher Premiership, members of the club’s development ranks will also be in action for their loan clubs across the country.
Five Tigers players will see action in the second round of the Greene King IPA Championship, with Johnny McPhillips resuming at full-back for Doncaster Knights as they host Cornish Pirates on Saturday, while Sam Lewis and Kyran Bungaroo are both named among the replacements for Nottingham’s Friday evening match with London Scottish.
Henri Lavin and Thom Smith both start in the back row for a Yorkshire Carnegie side coached by former Tigers fly-half Joe Ford as they travel to Ampthill for their Round 2 fixture in England’s second tier.
National One side Birmingham Moseley, now under the direction of former Tigers back-rower Adam Balding, name tighthead Osman Dimen in their matchday squad as they host Canterbury.
And another ex-Tiger, Scott Hamilton – now director of rugby at Hinckley – calls on back-rower Ollie Ashworth and winger Leo Gilliland for their National Two North clash with Fylde at Leicester Road, as Keston Lines, Joe Browning, Jonny Law and Sam Costelow are all set to be involved for Loughborough Students’ match with Hull in the same league on Saturday.
James Whitcombe travels to Bristol for Leicester Lions’ fixture with Dings Crusaders in the southern section of National Two.
