Leicester Tigers to field heaviest pack in Premiership history against Saracens

Leicester Tigers are set to field what is almost certainly the heaviest pack in Gallagher Premiership history against Saracens this weekend.

No.8 Sione Kalamafoni (120.8kg) heads up a truly enormous Tigers forward unit for Round 13, with Geordan Murphy’s side presumably looking to outmuscle their London opponents. The Tonga international captains Tigers and is joined in the back row by Harry Wells (119.8kg) and relative minnow in Tommy Reffell (98kg) – who’s the only starting forward to weigh less than 119.8kg (18 stone 12Ibs).

Tigers are also changing up their tight five; Nephi Leatigaga (149.1kg), Tatafu Polota-Nau (120.4kg) and Joe Heyes (124.7kg) combine in the front row, while Will Spencer (124.75kg) and Joe Batley (120kg) combine in a heavyweight engine room.

The total weight of the pack is 978.35kg, which works out at an average of 122.3kg (19 stone 4Ibs). That’s just over a kg lighter per man than the 123.8kg Tyson Fury weighed in at for his second fight against Deontay Wilder.

It could get heavier during the game if Murphy decides to replace the 98kg Tommy Reffell with 111kg Ifereimi Boladau. The pack would then come in just shy of a tonne at 991.35kg, which works out at 124kg a man.

Calum Green (119kg) returns from a facial injury to take a place alongside Greg Bateman (118kg) and Dan Cole (123kg) among the replacements.

For comparison, Leicester Tigers’ 978.35kg pack is 16kg heavier than France’s 962kg pack at last year’s Six Nations, which is widely thought to be the heaviest pack ever fielded at international level.

It is however shy of the one tonne plus pack Toulouse fielded in the Top 14 in 2017.

*All weights taken from Leicester Tigers’ website.

Leicester Tigers (v Saracens, away, Saturday 1.00pm)

15 Telusa Veainu

14 Jonah Holmes

13 Joe Thomas

12 Kyle Eastmond

11 Rory Hughes

10 Johnny McPhillips

9 Ben White

1 Nephi Leatigaga

2 Tatafu Polota-Nau

3 Joe Heyes

4 Will Spencer

5 Joe Batley

6 Harry Wells

7 Tommy Reffell

8 Sione Kalamafoni (c)

Replacements

16 Jake Kerr

17 Greg Bateman

18 Dan Cole

19 Calum Green

20 Ifereimi Boladau

21 Harry Simmons

22 Tom Hardwick

23 George Worth

WATCH: Jim discusses the ramifications of the Six Nations going behind a pay wall and no longer being shown on free to watch TV.