Tigers team for Saracens show down

Leicester Tigers (v Saracens, Welford Road, Saturday 2.30pm)
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Matt Smith
13 Billy Twelvetrees
12 Anthony Allen
11 Niall Morris
10 George Ford
9 James Grindal
1 Boris Stankovich
2 George Chuter (c)
3 Michael Holford
4 Ed Slater
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Steve Mafi
7 Ben Woods
8 Julian Salvi

Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Jonny Harris
18 Peter Bucknall
19 Tom Youngs
20 Tom Armes
21 Mickey Young
22 Jeremy Staunton
23 Mathew Tait

Tigers are a bit short staffed and despite a credible performance from Pienaar for Notts on Tuesday night (after 7 months out) and a brace for de Carpienter in the same game neither make it onto the bench with Tom Armes instead Cockerill has named young Tom Youngs a former centre and now a hooker as another option to the backrow. Considering some of his carrying work against Newcastle maybe it isn't so suprising.

I wonder if the mods can merge yours and mine. You have the Leicester side up. I have the Saracens side up.

That would make sense, can the mods sort this please.

Tom Youngs almost looked like a white Steffon Armitage last week.

Can't understand Grindal starting again.

I think the premise is that Grindal is more experienced and so controls the forwards better (which he does) and that makes life easier for Ford. Young is being used to up the tempo later in games but currently isn't looking quite as assured as Cockers wants him to be.

Tom Youngs did look like an additional backrower last weekend, really came on and through himself into everything which is just what we've been crying out for at hooker. Hit his jumpers at the lineout too which is a good sign early doors.