Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks: Aviva Premiership preview
Last Updated: 27/02/15 3:43pm
Leicester Tigers meet Sale Sharks at Welford Road on Saturday as the battle for a top four spot in the Aviva Premiership intensifies.
Both teams are level on 43 points, one point behind fourth-placed Exeter, and victory for either side could see them finish the weekend in second spot.
The Tigers are on a four-game winning streak and they make six changes to the team that edged a dour tussle with London Irish last weekend.
Geoff Parling returns to the second row after recovering from a knee injury and he is partnered by former New Zealand international Brad Thorn, with Neil Briggs and Laurence Pearce replacing England duo Tom Youngs and Tom Croft.
Seremaia Bai is promoted from the bench to start alongside Vereneki Goneva in midfield, while Blaine Scully comes in on the wing.
Sale suffered a last-gasp 32-30 defeat at home to Leicester last December and they make three changes to the team that recorded a superb win over Saracens last weekend.
Nick Macleod comes in at fly-half for Danny Cipriani, who is among the England replacements for Sunday’s clash with Ireland. Magnus Lund is selected at openside flanker while Tom Arscott replaces Will Addison on the wing.
Leicester Tigers: 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.
Sale Sharks: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Tom Arscott, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Chris Cusiter; 1 Eifion Lewis Roberts, 2 Marc Jones, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 4 Jonathan Mills, 5 Nathan Hines, 6 Dan Braid (c), 7 Magnus Lund, 8 Josh Beaumont.
Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Maxim Cobilas, 18 Ross Harrison, 19 Mark Easter, 20 David Seymour, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Tom Brady.