Challenge Cup Final: Teams and Preview

May 20, 2021
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Ultimate Rugby

Leicester Tigers and Montpellier clash in the Challenge Cup Final on Friday at Twickenham.

Leicester saw off Connacht Rugby, Newcastle Falcons and Ulster Rugby en route to a first final for 12 years. Montpellier edged Benetton Rugby and then Bath Rugby on the road in the semi-finals.

The two sides face off in the competition for the first time but clashed in the Champions Cup twice previously, the Tigers coming out on top in both pool stage matches in 2013/14.

The Tigers are aiming to become the fifth club in the history of European competition to win both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup. Premiership clubs, Bath Rugby, Northampton Saints and Wasps, have won the two trophies while Leinster Rugby have also completed the coveted double.

Meanwhile, Montpellier are out to win the competition for the second time in history having won the title back in 2015 beating Harlequins.

A second title five years on? 🤔🏆

Montpellier stalwarts Fulgence Ouedraogo, Benoit Paillaugue, Paul Willemse, Jacques du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis all featured in the 2016 Challenge Cup Final win against Harlequins and could be in line for a second winner’s medal 🏅 pic.twitter.com/66KRF8Q6MX
— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) May 19, 2021

TEAM NEWS:

Leicester Tigers: Tom Youngs will captain the side, starting alongside Ellis Genge and Dan Cole in the Leicester front row, with Harry Wells and Calum Green as the second-row pairing. Cyle Brink is at openside flanker, joining Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese in the Leicester back row.

Richard Wigglesworth starts at scrum-half, joining fly-half George Ford as the half-backs for Tigers, and Dan Kelly links with Matías Moroni in the Leicester midfield.

Guy Porter, Nemani Nadolo and Freddie Steward make up an unchanged Tigers back-three from the win over Harlequins last weekend. Charlie Clare, Luan de Bruin, Cameron Henderson and Tommy Reffell are the forwards on the Leicester bench, with Ben Youngs, Zack Henry and Kini Murimurivalu as the replacement backs.

Montpellier: Having made his return from injury in the semi-final win over Bath, World Cup-winning flyhalf Handre Pollard returns to the Montpellier matchday 23 once again. He is set to feature from the bench once again along with his fellow countryman Cobus Reinach.

Guilhem Guirado captains the side from hooker with Forletta and Haouas flanking him. Florian Verhaeghe partners man of the match in the semi-finals, Paul Willemse, in the second row.

As he did in the 2016 final against Harlequins, Fulgence Ouedraogo starts on the blindside with Yacouba Camara and Alexandre Becognee completing the pack. Alex Lozowski starts at flyhalf with Benoit Paillague at scrumhalf.

Jan Serfontein and Johan Goosen are the centres with Vincent Rattez and Arthur Vincent on the wings with Anthony Bouthier at fullback.

Bismarck and Jacques du Plessis are included on the bench and will also look to add to their Challenge Cup final win five years ago. They are joined by 19-year-old loosehead prop Roger Rodgers, who made his senior debut for Montpellier in the TOP14 last week.

Titi Lamositele completes the bench along with Duguid and Ngandebe.

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