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Leicester make 13 changes as they prepare to host Bath on Saturday

(Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Steve Borthwick has made 13 changes to the Leicester Tigers starting line-up for Saturday’s return to Welford Road against Bath in round 15 of the Gallagher Premiership season. Tomas Lavanini and George Worth, who moves into the midfield from full-back, are the only two players retained from the starting side that lost at Exeter last Saturday in round 14.

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After coming off the Premiership bench last weekend, front rowers Nephi Leatigaga, Jake Kerr and Joe Heyes make up the Leicester front row, with Lavanini partnering Australia international Blake Enever in the second row. Enever, who joined Tigers from the ACT Brumbies during the summer, will make his club debut.

In the back row, it’s a trio of Premiership first starts for the club for George Martin, Luke Wallace and Thom Smith. The 19-year-old Martin will also make his first appearance in the competition, as well as his first run out at Welford Road in just his second senior start for the club.

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Smith, who made his Premiership debut at Exeter, will make his first starting appearance in the competition and Wallace, in just his second game for the club since his summer arrival, has been named vice-captain alongside outside-back Worth.

Ben White will captain the side and partner Johnny McPhillips at half-back. Guy Porter has been named to make his Tigers debut alongside Worth at centre after arriving from the ACT Brumbies during the postponement period.

Fellow new addition Harry Potter will also make his debut, alongside his former Sydney University team-mate Porter, after being named on the wing. Harry Simmons is on the other wing and Zack Henry, in his first start for Leicester, is at full-back.

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Dan Cole is the only one of the replacements who featured last weekend and is included alongside fellow Tigers academy graduates Charlie Clare and Ryan Bower as front row cover.

Scotland U20s lock Cameron Henderson is in line to make his Tigers debut and is joined on the bench by back row Jordan Coghlan. Academy graduates Jack van Poortvliet, Tom Hardwick and Freddie Steward complete the replacements.

Borthwick said: “This period of games is an opportunity for us to work the depth of our squad, work the competition for places and work that we understand the combinations better.

“That’s the opportunity the players have this weekend – the privileged opportunity they have to be the first Leicester team since we restarted to represent Leicester back here at Welford Road.”

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LEICESTER (vs Bath, Saturday) 

15. Zack Henry; 14. Harry Potter, 13. George Worth, 12. Guy Porter, 11. Harry Simmons; 10. Johnny McPhillips, 9 Ben White (capt); 1. Nephi Leatigaga; 2. Jake Kerr, 3. Joe Heyes, 4. Tomas Lavanini, 5. Blake Enever, 6. George Martin, 7. Luke Wallace, 8. Thom Smith. Reps: 16. Charlie Clare, 17. Ryan Bower, 18. Dan Cole, 19. Cameron Henderson, 20. Jordan Coghlan, 21. Jack van Poortvliet, 22. Tom Hardwick, 23. Freddie Steward.

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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