Leicester Tigers give competitive debuts to summer signings Seremaia Bai, Freddie Burns and Leonardo Ghiraldini in Saturday's Aviva Premiership opener against Newcastle Falcons at Welford Road. Kick-off is at 3pm and tickets are available now.
Fiji international Bai teams up with Manu Tuilagi at centre, while Burns is at fly-half, with Ghiraldini starting a hooker.
Another new signing, Robert Barbieri, is named among the replacements.
Ben Youngs leads Tigers as captain for the first time in league competition, while Tom Croft starts the season in the back row alongside Julian Salvi and Jordan Crane.
Club captain Ed Slater, and senior pros Anthony Allen and Louis Deacon, are among those sidelined by injury this week. Tigers are also without Miles Benjamin, Gonzalo Camacho, Dan Cole, Scott Hamilton, Terrence Hepetema, Pablo Matera, Geoff Parling, Laurence Pearce, Tom Price, Michele Rizzo, Adam Thompstone and Brad Thorn due to injury. Marcos Ayerza is on international duty with Argentina.
Tickets for Saturday’s game are available from the Tigers ticket office now. Call in at Welford Road, phone 0844 856 1880 or book online by clicking here.
The mark the start of the new season, Tigers are hosting Tigers In The Park, a free community event with events, activities and live music for the whole family, from 10am in Nelson Mandela Park and outside the stadium. Click here for more details.
Leicester Tigers (v Newcastle Falcons, Aviva Premiership Round 1, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)
15 Niall Morris
14 Blaine Scully
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Seremaia Bai
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Freddie Burns
9 Ben Youngs (c)
1 Logovi’i Mulipola
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
3 Fraser Balmain
4 Sebastian De Chaves
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Tom Croft
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 Tom Youngs
17 Tom Bristow
18 Tiziano Pasquali
19 Jamie Gibson
20 Robert Barbieri
21 David Mele
22 Owen Williams
23 Matt Smith
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Sinoti Sinoti, 13 Adam Powell, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Noah Cato, 10 Phil Godman, 9 Mike Blair; 1 Rob Vickers, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 4 Calum Green, 5 Josh Furno, 6 Richard Mayhew, 7 Will Welch (c), 8 Ally Hogg
Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Alex Rogers, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Dom Barrow, 20 Andy Saull, 21 Ruki Tipuna, 22 Alesana Tuilagi, 23 Gonzalo Tiesi
Fiji international Bai teams up with Manu Tuilagi at centre, while Burns is at fly-half, with Ghiraldini starting a hooker.
Another new signing, Robert Barbieri, is named among the replacements.
Ben Youngs leads Tigers as captain for the first time in league competition, while Tom Croft starts the season in the back row alongside Julian Salvi and Jordan Crane.
Club captain Ed Slater, and senior pros Anthony Allen and Louis Deacon, are among those sidelined by injury this week. Tigers are also without Miles Benjamin, Gonzalo Camacho, Dan Cole, Scott Hamilton, Terrence Hepetema, Pablo Matera, Geoff Parling, Laurence Pearce, Tom Price, Michele Rizzo, Adam Thompstone and Brad Thorn due to injury. Marcos Ayerza is on international duty with Argentina.
Tickets for Saturday’s game are available from the Tigers ticket office now. Call in at Welford Road, phone 0844 856 1880 or book online by clicking here.
The mark the start of the new season, Tigers are hosting Tigers In The Park, a free community event with events, activities and live music for the whole family, from 10am in Nelson Mandela Park and outside the stadium. Click here for more details.
Leicester Tigers (v Newcastle Falcons, Aviva Premiership Round 1, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)
15 Niall Morris
14 Blaine Scully
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Seremaia Bai
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Freddie Burns
9 Ben Youngs (c)
1 Logovi’i Mulipola
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
3 Fraser Balmain
4 Sebastian De Chaves
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Tom Croft
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 Tom Youngs
17 Tom Bristow
18 Tiziano Pasquali
19 Jamie Gibson
20 Robert Barbieri
21 David Mele
22 Owen Williams
23 Matt Smith
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Sinoti Sinoti, 13 Adam Powell, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Noah Cato, 10 Phil Godman, 9 Mike Blair; 1 Rob Vickers, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 4 Calum Green, 5 Josh Furno, 6 Richard Mayhew, 7 Will Welch (c), 8 Ally Hogg
Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Alex Rogers, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Dom Barrow, 20 Andy Saull, 21 Ruki Tipuna, 22 Alesana Tuilagi, 23 Gonzalo Tiesi
