Match Preview: Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers
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Gloucester Rugby and Leicester Tigers meet in the third edition of the Slater Cup at Kingsholm on Saturday.
Named after Ed Slater, who captained both clubs and was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2022, the first encounter was in February 2023.
Tigers have lifted the cup on both occasions and will be confident of making it a hat-trick, despite a stuttering start to the campaign.
Both teams have won two and lost four league matches to date, and sit eighth and ninth in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby table.
TV: Live on TNT Sports, 2.30pm kick-off
Referee: Tom Foley (124th game)
Assistant Referees: Hamish Smales & John Meredith
TMO: Stuart Terheege
Gloucester Rugby: 15. Santi Carreras, 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 13. Chris Harris, 12. Seb Atkinson, 11. Ollie Thorley, 10. George Barton, 9. Stephen Varney, 1. Mayco Vivas, 2. George McGuigan, 3. Fraser Balmain, 4. Freddie Clarke, 5. Matias Alemanno, 6. Freddie Thomas, 7. Lewis Ludlow, 8. Jack Clement
Replacements: 16. Santi Socino, 17. Harry Elrington, 18. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19. Arthur Clark, 20. Ben Donnell, 21. Micky Young, 22. Mark Atkinson, 23. Louis Hillman-Cooper
Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Josh Bassett, 13 Matt Scott, 12 Dan Kelly, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 James Cronin, 2 Julian Montoya, 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Cameron Henderson, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Jasper Wiese
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 James Whitcombe, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Harry Wells, 20 Matt Rogerson, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Solomone Kata
Oval Insights
Gloucester Rugby
- Jack Clement made as many clean breaks as any other player in Round 6 (four) and won the joint-most turnovers (three).
- Gloucester have made a league-low average of 29 kicks in play per 80 minutes this season.
- Gloucester have the highest rate of carry dominance in the league (27.2%). Jack Clement has made more dominant carries than any other Gloucester player (19).
- 58.6% of the turnovers Gloucester have conceded this season have been unforced – fewer than any other team. However, they have conceded the most turnovers per 80 minutes in the league (14.5).
Leicester Rugby
- Jasper Wiese made more carries in Round 6 than any other player (21). He has made 44 carries in two appearances this season
- Handre Pollard scored a round-high total of 16 points against Northampton Saints. Of the players who have kicked at goal so far this season, he has averaged the most points per 80 minutes (13).
- Leicester Tigers have made fewer metres (254) and clean breaks (2.5) per 80 minutes than any other team.
- Hanro Leibenberg has made more attacking lineout contests than any other player, winning 37 of his 39 with a clean catch. He has also made the second-most lineout steals in the league (four).
