Gloucester v Leicester: Teams

Mike Tindall will lead Gloucester into their opening Guinness Premiership match of the 2008-9 season on Sunday as the hosts seek revenge on Leicester at Kingsholm.

After missing out on what looked destined to be Guinness Premiership glory when Tigers beat Gloucester 26-25 in the play-off semi-finals last season, Tindall and his troops will be desperate to get one back on their rivals.

Head coach Dean Ryan has made four changes to the line-up that started Gloucester's final pre-season warm-up game last Saturday - a 30-8 victory over Glasgow.

There are two alterations to the backline and two in the forward pack. James Simpson-Daniel, the Guinness Premiership player of the season last year, comes in on the wing for Iain Balshaw and Rory Lawson comes in at scrum-half for Gareth Cooper.

Combination

Up front, Marco Bortolami gets the nod over Alex Brown at lock and will partner Will James, while Alasdair Strokosch comes in on the openside flank for Andy Hazell.

Gloucester's front row will have a tried and trusted feel - Nick Wood will start at loose-head prop, Andy Titterrell at hooker and Carlos Nieto at tight-head.

Will James gets the chance alongside Bortolami at lock, while Peter Buxton starts at blindside, Alasdair Strokosch comes in at number seven, while England's number eight Luke Narraway anchors the scrum.

Lawson resumes his half-back partnership with Ryan Lamb, while Tindall and Anthony Allen are the centre combination. Simpson-Daniel and Lesley Vainikolo, who each scored nine Guinness Premiership tries last season, are the wings. Olly Morgan completes the back three.

Captain Mauger

Tigers also have a new man leading them out on Sunday as Aaron Mauger takes over captaincy duties after being named in a backline unchanged from the final pre-season fixture against Western Force.

He is joined by full-back Geordan Murphy, wings Tom Varndell and Alesana Tuilagi, centre Dan Hipkiss and half-backs Toby Flood and Harry Ellis in an all-international back division.

England internationals George Chuter and Julian White are joined by Marcos Ayerza in the front row, with Richard Blaze and Ben Kay at lock. Tom Croft, Ben Herring and Jordan Crane form the back-row combination.

Summer arrival Flood makes his first Guinness Premiership appearance for Tigers, while fellow close-season signings Ben Woods and Julien Dupuy are named among the replacements at Kingsholm.

Prop Martin Castrogiovanni and fellow forwards Lewis Moody and Louis Deacon are sidelined for the opening weeks of the campaign, while Martin Corry, Ayoola Erinle and summer signing Derick Hougaard were also not considered for selection due to injury.

Gloucester: 15 Olly Morgan, 14 James Simpson-Daniel, 13 Mike Tindall (capt), 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Lesley Vainikolo 10 Ryan Lamb, 9 Rory Lawson; 1 Nick Wood, 2 Andy Titterrell, 3 Carlos Nieto, 4 Will James, 5 Marco Bortolami, 6 Peter Buxton, 7 Alasdair Strokosch, 8 Luke Narraway.

Replacements: 16 Olivier Azam, 17 Dave Young, 18 Alex Brown, 19 Andy Hazell, 20 Gareth Cooper, 21 Willie Walker, 22 Matthew Watkins.

Leicester: 15 Geordan Murphy, 14 Tom Varndell, 13 Dan Hipkiss, 12 Aaron Mauger (capt), 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Harry Ellis; 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 George Chuter, 3 Julian White, 4 Richard Blaze, 5 Ben Kay, 6 Tom Croft, 7 Ben Herring, 8 Jordan Crane.

Replacements 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Dan Cole, 18 Marco Wentzel, 19 Ben Woods, 20 Julien Dupuy, 21 Sam Vesty, 22 Matt Smith.