Aviva Premiership: Leicester Tigers welcome Gloucester to Welford Road
Leicester Tigers entertain Gloucester having suffered just one defeat in their last six Aviva Premiership matches.
Last Updated: 16/02/14 2:09pm
The Cherry and Whites head into the game as overwhelming underdogs having secured only two victories in the Premiership over the last nine rounds.
They have not been victorious at the home of the Tigers since their visit in 2007 but welcome Mike Tindall to the starting line-up and he will also skipper the side.
Tindall is one of five new faces in the side from the team that faced Sale Sharks last weekend.
In the pack, Will James comes in to partner Elliott Stooke in the second-row, while boss Nigel Davies welcomes back England back-row forwards Matt Kvesic and Ben Morgan.
In the backline Dan Robson gets the nod at scrum-half, partnering Ryan Mills at half-back, with Tindall joining Henry Trinder in the Gloucester midfield.
Adam Thompstone and Graham Kitchener return to the Leicester team with winger Thompstone, the club's top try-scorer in 2012/13, back after recovering from a knock picked up in his England Saxons debut a fortnight ago, while Kitchener joins Ed Slater in the locks.
Number eight Jordan Crane returns after injury for his first game since the Heineken Cup tie against Ulster.
Slater, Tom Youngs and Ben Youngs are included in the starting line-up after being released from the England squad this week.
Leicester: 15 Tait, 14 Goneva, 13 Smith, 12 Allen, 11 Thompstone, 10 Flood (c), 9 Youngs; 1 Ayerza, 2 Youngs, 3 Mulipola, 4 Slater, 5 Kitchener, 6 Gibson, 7 Salvi, 8 Crane.
Replacements: 16 Hawkins, 17 Stankovich, 18 Balmain, 19 Deacon, 20 Waldrom, 21 Mele, 22 Williams, 23 Scully.
Gloucester: 15 Cook, 14 Sharples, 13 Trinder, 12 Tindall (capt), 11 Thomas, 10 Mills, 9 Robson; 1 Wood, 2 Dawidiuk, 3 Puafisi, 4 Stooke, 5 James, 6 Kalamafoni, 7 Kvesic, 8 Morgan.
Replacements: 16 Edmonds, 17 Thomas, 18 Harden, 19 Hudson, 20 Cox, 21 Cowan, 22 Burns, 23 Monahan.
