Sale game - Teams up!!

[TomWeston]

Phew!! Never thought I would be so pleased to see Freddie on the team sheet!

[ourla]

International trio Geoff Parling, Brad Thorn and Blaine Scully return to the Leicester Tigers line-up for Saturday's Aviva Premiership fixture against Sale Sharks at Welford Road (3pm).

Parling has returned to fitness following a knee injury and has been released from the England squad this week, while second-rower Thorn and wing Scully also return as Tigers host the Round 16 fixture.

Laurence Pearce starts in the back row with Julian Salvi still sidelined by a calf injury, and Fijian duo Seremaia Bai and Vereniki Goneva team up in midfield.

Tommy Bell is called up among the replacements against his former club and there is also a place for Christian Loamanu in the matchday squad for the first time since the Barbarians fixture in November.

Leicester Tigers (v Sale Sharks, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)

15 Mathew Tait
14 Blaine Scully
13 Vereneki Goneva
12 Seremaia Bai
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Freddie Burns
9 Sam Harrison
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Neil Briggs
3 Logovi'i Mulipola
4 Brad Thorn
5 Geoff Parling
6 Laurence Pearce
7 Jamie Gibson
8 Jordan Crane (c)

Replacements
16 Harry Thacker
17 Michele Rizzo
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Sebastian De Chaves
20 Jack Whetton
21 David Mele
22 Tommy Bell
23 Christian Loamanu

[watsonjm]

Leicester Tigers (v Sale Sharks, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)
15 Mathew Tait
14 Blaine Scully
13 Vereneki Goneva
12 Seremaia Bai
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Freddie Burns
9 Sam Harrison
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Neil Briggs
3 Logovi'i Mulipola
4 Brad Thorn
5 Geoff Parling
6 Laurence Pearce
7 Jamie Gibson
8 Jordan Crane (c)

[ourla]

Sale:

There are three changes to last week's side that beat Saracens, with Magnus Lund, Nick Macleod & Tom Arscott coming into the starting XV.

Team: Mike Haley, Tom Arscott, Johnny Leota, Sam Tuitupou, Mark Cueto, Nick Macleod, Chris Cusiter, Eifion Lewis Roberts, Marc Jones, Vadim Cobilas, Jonathan Mills, Nathan Hines, Dan Braid (capt.), Magnus Lund, Josh Beaumont.

[watsonjm]

Pretty much the strongest side we could have asked for.

Just hope Thorn, Scully, Parling and Burns are all 100% and not Cockers smoke and mirrors that pull out during the warm up.

[darganj]

Can't have been many bigger and heavier XVs put out in the Premiership than this side!

[watsonjm]

Can't have been many bigger and heavier XVs put out in the Premiership than this side!

Nope i would doubt it.

I have a feeling its going to be another slug match and come down to penalties.

[Bundy]

Good to see Loamanu in the squad!

[darganj]

I'm glad Pearce has got the start. Real ball carrier. He will become a class act at number 8 over the next 12-18 months

[Jay C]

Just hope Thorn, Scully, Parling and Burns are all 100% and not Cockers smoke and mirrors that pull out during the warm up.

+1

[MurphysLaw]

[quote="Bundy"]Good to see Loamanu in the squad! [/quote]

Agreed. Has the added bonus of cover for the back row if necessary.

As others have said, there's some heft on both sides. It's going to be a bit of a slugfest.

[Rykard]

shame it's not on TV, it would good to see how the new combinations go

[Iain]

Some will be annoyed at Roberts and Catchpole being out and Goneva being shifted to 13, but I think Cockerill, rightly, is just trying to get all his best available footballers on the field.

[ourla]

Weather forecast has improved from what I can see. Looks like it may be a dry afternoon after all. So who knows, maybe some rugby will break out after all

[Rykard]

maybe he just wants to give them a week off, we don't know if they picked up knocks last week?