Leeds v Wasps: Teams
Leeds will look to end Stuart Lancaster's 16-year association with the club on a high when they entertain Wasps at Headingley.
Last Updated: 09/05/08 2:00pm
Leeds Carnegie will look to end Stuart Lancaster's 16-year association with the club on a high when they entertain Wasps at Headingley.
Lancaster is quitting his role as director of rugby to take up a position with the RFU having spent time as a player, captain, academy manger and coach of Leeds.
Lancaster is not the only one leaving the relegated outfit, with the match signalling the last matches for captain Stuart Hooper, John Holtby, Pablo Bouza, Mark Lock and Darren Edwards.
Leeds will welcome back Rob Vickerman, Alberto Di Bernardo, Jon Dunbar and Hendre Fourie for the clash - with the club out to derail Wasps' hopes of securing a place in the play-offs.
Victory over Newcastle in mid-week all-but assured Wasps of their place in the top four, however they still need a win to make sure, with fifth-placed Harlequins still able to catch them.
Rest
Director of rugby Ian McGeechan has opted to rest a number of players including Danny Cipriani, Fraser Waters, Josh Lewsey, Joe Ward and Tim Payne - with the Londoners set for their third match in a week.
Jeremy Staunton comes in at fly-half, while Riki Flutely moves to the centres to accommodate Mark van Gisbergen and Tom Voyce starts on the wing.
There is a new-look front row, with Tom French, Raphael Ibanez and Michael Holford teaming up, while Tom Palmer and Simon Shaw return to the second row.
Only James Haskell survives in the back row, with Lawrence Dallaglio and Joe Worsley returning.
McGeechan said, "We have had some big results over the last three months, and our success has been down to an excellent squad effort, in which every player has played his part.
"The game against Leeds is critical to our play off fortunes, and so it's essential we maintain our focus and squad mentality in this game.
"This season it has been obvious that every game in the Guinness Premiership has been very competitive. Leeds have remained a difficult team to play against all year, and gave us a very competitive game at Adams Park earlier in the season. I'm sure it will be no different tomorrow."
Leeds: 15 Leigh Hinton, 14 Scott Armstrong, 13 Rob Vickerman, 12 John Holtby, 11 Tom Biggs, 10 Alberto Di Bernardo, 9 Joe Bedford, 1 Mike MacDonald, 2 Vili Ma'asi, 3 Tommy McGee, 4 Stuart Hooper (c), 5 Kearnan Myall, 6 Jon Dunbar, 7 Hendre Fourie, 8 Adam Balding.
Replacements: 16 Adam Hopcroft, 17 Rob Rawlinson, 18 Pablo Bouza, 19 Mark Lock, 20 Darren Edwards, 21 Adam Greendale, 22 Jonny Hepworth.
Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Dominic Waldouck, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Tom Voyce, 10 Jeremy Staunton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 1 Tom French, 2 Raphael Ibanez, 3 Michael Holford, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Tom Palmer, 6 Joe Worsley, 7 James Haskell, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (c)
Replacements: 16 Joe Ward, 17 Tim Payne, 18 Richard Birkett, 19 Rob Webber, 20 Mark McMillan, 21 Josh Lewsey, 22 Danny Cipriani.