Steve Borthwick has named the Leicester Tigers matchday squad for Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup away fixture against Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel-Michelin.
Up front, club captain Ellis Genge starts alongside Joe Heyes and hooker Julián Montoya in the front row.
Ollie Chessum and Calum Green are the second-row pairing, with vice-captain Hanro Liebenberg and Tommy Reffell the flankers and Jasper Wiese at No8.
Nic Dolly, James Whitcombe and Dan Cole are included as front-row replacements alongside Harry Wells and Eli Snyman on the Leicester bench.
Ben Youngs and George Ford are the starting half-backs, with Dan Kelly and Guy Porter included in the Tigers midfield.
In the back-three, Freddie Steward starts at full-back with Hosea Saumaki and Harry Potter on the wings.
Jack van Poortvliet, Freddie Burns and Matías Moroni are the replacement backs.
Previewing the trip to France, Borthwick said: “Clermont are an excellent side with a great balance throughout their team.”
“They have a big, powerful forward pack with a very good scrum, very good maul and experienced half backs who boss a game really well, controlling things, and electric pace and power out wide in a dangerous backline.”
Discussing the European competition, the Leicester Tigers Head Coach added: “This European adventure, which taken us a few different places so far this season, is now taking us to Clermont; a great place to be able to play rugby and represent Leicester Tigers.”
STARTING XV
15 Freddie Steward [48]
14 Harry Potter [33]
13 Guy Porter [38]
12 Dan Kelly [40]
11 Hosea Saumaki [10]
10 George Ford [120]
9 Ben Youngs [275]
1 Ellis Genge (c) [102]
2 Julián Montoya [22]
3 Joe Heyes [93]
4 Ollie Chessum [24]
5 Calum Green [83]
6 Hanro Liebenberg (vc) [50]
7 Tommy Reffell [70]
8 Jasper Wiese [36]
REPLACMENTS
16 Nic Dolly [19]
17 James Whitcombe [19]
18 Dan Cole [281]
19 Harry Wells [147]
20 Eli Snyman [16]
21 Jack van Poortvliet [42]
22 Freddie Burns [94]
23 Matías Moroni [27]
CLERMONT AUVERGNE: 15 Kotaro Matsushima, 14 Alivereti Raka, 13 George Moala, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Cheik Tiberghien, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Morgan Parra; 1 Giorgi Beria, 2 Etienne Fourcade, 3 Rabah Slimani, 4 Paul Jedrasiak, 5 Sébastien Vahaamahina (c), 6 Judicaël Cancoriet, 7 Alexandre Fischer, 8 Fritz Lee
Replacements: 16 Yohan Beheregaray, 17 Etienne Falgoux, 18 Cristian Ojova, 19 Miles Amatosero, 20 Lucas Dessaigne, 21 Kevin Viallard, 22 J J Hanrahan, 23 Marvin O'Connor
