Tigers look to extend home run

Published: Saturday, 3. March, 2012 in category Leicester
Flood: Returns to the Leicester line-up

But it will be tough against the visitors who have won five of their last six games and were victorious in their most recent away match - a 14-11 success at Bath on February 18.

Ben Youngs and Toby Flood return to the Leicester line-up after the England duo were released from international duty.

Samoan wing Alesana Tuilagi, joint top try-scorer this season and the top scorer in the Premiership last season, returns after a two-week absence.

The only other change to the Tigers' team which recorded a bonus-point victory over Newcastle last weekend is in the second row where Graham Kitchener starts.

For Gloucester, centre Tim Molenaar will make his first Aviva Premiership start of the season and Brett Deacon starts against his former club.

Molenaar tore a pectoral muscle in pre-season and has had to patiently work his way back to full fitness, appearing in a number of Aviva Premiership A League and LV= Cup games.

He comes in to partner Mike Tindall in the Gloucester midfield with Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu (knee) and Henry Trinder (jaw) both sidelined.

Other changes to the starting line-up that defeated Harlequins at Kingsholm last weekend see Tom Voyce and Dave Lewis replace James Simpson-Daniel and Rory Lawson respectively.

Meanwhile, in the pack, the front five are retained but there is a slight rejig in the back row with Deacon starting at number eight and Matt Cox shifting across to the openside in place of Akapusi Qera who is named amongst the replacements.

Leicester: 15 Geordan Murphy (capt), 14 Horacio Agulla, 13 Matt Smith, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Steve Mafi, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 George Skivington, 3 Logoviii Mulipola, 2 George Chuter, 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Replacements: 16 Rob Hawkins, 17 Boris Stankovich, 18 Julian White, 19 Ben Pienaar, 20 Craig Newby, 21 James Grindal, 22 George Ford, 23 Scott Hamilton

Gloucester: 15 Jonny May, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Mike Tindall (capt), 12 Tim Molenaar, 11 Tom Voyce, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Dave Lewis, 8 Brett Deacon, 7 Matt Cox, 6 Tom Savage, 5 Alex Brown, 4 Will James, 3 Rupert Harden, 2 Darren Dawidiuk, 1 Nick Wood

Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Shaun Knight, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Akapusi Qera, 21 Nick Runciman, 22 Ryan Mills, 23 Ollie Phillips.