Gloucester v Leeds: Teams
Top take on bottom at Kingsholm on Saturday as Guinness Premiership leaders Gloucester host injury-hit Leeds.
Last Updated: 19/04/08 5:29pm
Top take on bottom at Kingsholm on Saturday as Guinness Premiership leaders Gloucester host injury-hit Leeds.
The home side will be looking to maintain their place at the summit with a bonus-point victory over a team who have conceded 605 points so far this season.
Despite their sparkling 39-15 win over Saracens last time out head coach Dean Ryan has decided to make changes, mostly in the pack.
Alasdair Dickinson comes into a new-look front row that also includes Frenchman Olivier Azam at hooker.
There is also a change at lock with Will James being rewarded for his form off the bench with a starting berth next to skipper Marco Bortolami.
Cooper starts
Gareth Delve is in at number eight in place of England international Luke Narraway, while the only change in the backs sees Gareth Cooper take over at scrum-half from Rory Lawson.
Peter Buxton makes his return to the squad on a strong bench that also includes Chris Paterson, Olly Morgan and Andy Titterrell.
Leeds will hand a Guinness Premiership debut to student Scott Armstrong at the weekend.
The winger has made two first-team appearances in the EDF Energy Cup this season and has also reprsented England students.
He has been thrust into the starting line-up as Leeds are without a total of 12 players through injury.
Casualty list
Rob Rawlinson and Richard Welding became the latest players to join the lengthy casualty list at Headingley Carnegie when they picked up knocks in last week's 32-6 loss to Harlequins.
The competition's bottom side are also missing Adam Balding, who was signed from Gloucester and is therefore not allowed to play against his old club due to the terms of the loan deal.
There will be two former Cherry and Whites in action for the visitors, though, James Parkes starting at hooker while Jon Goodridge is named amongst the replacements.
Martin Lock gets the nod to start at number eight. He is joined in the back row by flankers Rhys Oakley and Calum Clark.
Gloucester: 15 W Walker, 14 I Balshaw, 13 J Simpson-Daniel, 12 M Tindall, 11 L Vainikolo; 10 R Lamb, 9 G Cooper; 1 A Dickinson, 2 O Azam, 3 C Nieto, 4 W James, 5 M Bortolami (capt), 6 A Strokosch, 7 A Qera, 8 G Delve
Replacements: A Titterrell, J Forster, A Brown, P Buxton, R Lawson, C Paterson, O Morgan.
Leeds: 15 L Hinton, 14 S Armstrong, 13 R Vickerman, 12 L Burrell, 11 J Holtby, 10 A Di Bernardo, 9 J Bedford; 1 M MacDonald, 2 J Parkes, 3 F Pala'amo, 4 P Bouza, 5 S Hooper (capt), 6 R Oakley, 7 C Clark, 8 M Lock
Replacements: 16 A Hopcroft, 17 V Ma'asi, 18 E Lund, 19 K Myall , 20 D Edwards, 21 J Brooks, 22 J Goodridge