Wigglesworth tinkers with starting line-up for Kingston Park

Richard Wigglesworth has named the Leicester Tigers matchday squad to play Newcastle Falcons in Round 15 of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership.

The Head Coach has made a handful of changes to his starting side from last weekend’s defeat away to Sale Sharks.

Harry Simmons will make his first start of the league campaign in a back-three alongside Harry Potter and Freddie Steward.

In the Leicester midfield, Matt Scott is included alongside Dan Kelly.

Ben Youngs, one of two vice-captains for the fixture against Falcons alongside Dan Cole, partners Charlie Atkinson as the starting half-backs.

Cole and Charlie Clare retain their place in the front-row, with James Cronin returning from injury to make up the trio.

Calum Green, who made his 100th Tigers appearance off the bench in Round 14, joins Harry Wells in the second-row, which sees Ollie Chessum shift to the back-row with Tommy Reffell and captain Hanro Liebenberg.

Nephi Leatigaga, Joe Heyes, Sean Jansen and Jack van Poortvliet are retained in the matchday squad from last weekend’s match, joined by new faces on the bench in Joe Taufete'e, Cameron Henderson, Emeka Ilione and Jimmy Gopperth.

If used, Ilione will make his Premiership debut.

STARTING XV
15 Freddie Steward [64]
14 Harry Potter [53]
13 Matt Scott [54]
12 Dan Kelly [48]
11 Harry Simmons [26]
10 Charlie Atkinson [7]
9 Ben Youngs (vc) [291]
1 James Cronin [8]
2 Charlie Clare [65]
3 Dan Cole (vc) [302]
4 Harry Wells [168]
5 Calum Green [100]
6 Ollie Chessum [40]
7 Tommy Reffell [88]
8 Hanro Liebenberg (c) [72]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Joe Taufete’e [3]
17 Nephi Leatigaga [76]
18 Joe Heyes [111]
19 Cameron Henderson [24]
20 Emeka Ilione [6] *
21 Sean Jansen [12]
22 Jack van Poortvliet [57]
23 Jimmy Gopperth [6]

* Premiership debut