- Springboks Return to Leicester Tigers
- England Internationals Back in Action
- Saracens Rest Key Players
Two world-champion Springboks, Handré Pollard and Jasper Wiese, make their return to action for Leicester Tigers on Saturday at Welford Road against Harlequins.
England Internationals Back in the Lineup
South Africa won three knockout contests at the Rugby World Cup on account of Pollard’s goal-kicking; the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final all came down to a single point. Dan McKellar, the head coach of the Tigers, will anticipate a similar level of success from the returning fly-half and Wiese at No 8.
Additionally, four England internationals who were spared for last week’s loss at Saracens return to the field: Freddie Steward, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole, and Ollie Chessum. “Those returning international boys have laboured diligently this week to catch up,” McKellar remarked. “Their quality and experience in training and meetings have without a doubt boosted the squad.”
Strong Quins and Sale Lineups
Quins selects England scrum-half Danny Care and Springbok world champion centre André Esterhuizen for the bench. Marcus Smith is starting at fly-half after returning to club duty following last week’s victory over Newcastle. Joe Marler, a teammate from Red Rose, is positioned in the front row to face McKellar’s squad, which is ninth with a solitary victory in four races.
Prominent figures also make their return to Bristol, where they face off against Sale Kyle Sinckler and Max Malins, who makes his first start for the Bears since his loan stint in 2020-21. Saracens have signed the multitalented England back, who scored 18 tries in 19 appearances during his previous spell and helped Pat Lam’s squad claim the European Challenge Cup.
Sale’s Debut for Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie
“It is always difficult to defeat the Sale Sharks,” stated Lam. “However, despite the short turnaround time, we have adequately prepared and are eager for the challenge.”
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Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, makes his debut for Sale’s squad. Alex Sanderson’s squad is seeking to make it four wins in a row.
Sunday finds Saracens in Newcastle without Owen Farrell, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, or Ben Earl, who are all rested. Theo Dan is selected for the hooker position, while Argentinean back Lucio Cinti is substituted and poised to make his debut. Another Puma, Eduardo Bello, makes his Falcons debut at prop after joining from Sarries.
Exeter’s Leadership Change
Exeter, who climbed to the summit of the standings last week after defeating Bristol at Sandy Park, will face Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens. Courtney Lawes and Alex Mitchell return to the Saints, whereas England teammate Lewis Ludlam is granted a week off.
Dafydd Jenkins, a 20-year-old lock, will lead the Chiefs. Jenkins has been active since Wales’ elimination in the quarterfinals against Argentina.
Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter, once more rotates his front row, substituting Josh Iosefa-Scott, whose try sealed the victory last week, on the bench.
“Saints strongly support their offensive style; there is no escaping that,” Baxter stated. “Over the past two years, it appears that they have never been incapable of scoring tries in any encounter. Clearly, this generates pressure on its own.
