Leicester without six England players for 'very dangerous' Sale Sharks

Head coach Steve Borthwick’s Leicester Tigers will be without the services of no less than six England internationals for their Gallagher Premiership game away to Sale Sharks on Sunday.

George Ford, Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, Freddie Steward and Ben Youngs are all absent after their inclusion in Eddie Jones’ England’s Guinness Six Nations squad.

Table-topping Leicester Tigers, who are currently co-operating with an investigation into alleged breaches of the Premiership Salary cap, are still able to field a team rich in international experience.

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Borthwick has the luxury of naming five former England internationals in his 23; including Dan Cole, Freddie Burns, Richard Wigglesworth, George Martin and the recently capped Nic Dolly.

He has also called on fellow internationals in Springboks’ No.8 Jasper Wiese,  Pumas Julian Montoya and Juan Pablo Socino, Scotland’s Matt Scott, Samoa’s Nephi Leatigaga and Tonga’s Hosea Saumaki – who are all named in the matchday squad.

“Sale are a very dangerous side, who are capable of causing problems for their opposition with the phased attack and offloading ability they have at their disposal with the ball-in-hand style they implement,” said Borthwick.

“They have experienced, word-class players throughout their squad, of which they have invested heavily in over a number of seasons now.

“This is a club who have spent successive years at the top of the Premiership together and are settled in the style Alex Sanderson and his fellow coaches want them to play, which we know will be a big challenge for us on Sunday afternoon away from home.”

LEICESTER TIGERS
15 Bryce Hegarty
14 Harry Potter
13 Matt Scott
12 Dan Kelly
11 Guy Porter
10 Freddie Burns
9 Richard Wigglesworth (c)
1 James Whitcombe
2 Julián Montoya
3 Dan Cole
4 Harry Wells
5 Calum Green
6 George Martin
7 Tommy Reffell
8 Jasper Wiese

REPLACEMENTS
16 Nic Dolly
17 Francois van Wyk
18 Nephi Leatigaga
19 Hanro Liebenberg
20 Olly Robinson
21 Jack van Poortvliet
22 Juan Pablo Socino
23 Hosea Saumaki