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Investec Champions Cup Pool Three – Leicester Tigers v Leinster
Venue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium Date: Friday, 12 December Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, with second half also on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app.
Leicester Tigers welcome back England internationals Freddie Steward, Joe Heyes and Jamie Blamire to take on Leinster in the Champions Cup on Friday.
Wales duo Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith also start as Tigers seek their first pool win after losing 39-20 to La Rochelle last weekend.
Flanker Reffell takes over the captaincy from hooker Charlie Clare, who does not feature in the matchday 23.
Head coach Geoff Parling said: “It’s a proud moment for Tommy leading the team in what has been a big week for him with the birth of his daughter Nancy.”
Meanwhile, Hanro Liebenberg has had surgery on his knee and is expected to be sidelined until the middle of January.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has recalled Harry Byrne at fly-half in one of seven changes for the four-time champions.
Byrne has been given his chance at the expense of Sam Prendergast, who drops to the bench after starting last week’s opening pool win over Harlequins.
All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane is handed his first Leinster start after making his debut off the bench against Quins.
Ioane is partnered by the returning Robbie Henshaw, while James Lowe is fit to start on the left wing after recovering from a calf injury.
James Ryan is named in the second row after serving a suspension following a red card in Ireland’s November defeat by South Africa, while there are two front-row changes as Tadhg Furlong and Ronan Kelleher replace Thomas Clarkson and Dan Sheehan at tight-head prop and hooker.
Line-ups
Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Wand, Kata, Hassell-Collins; Searle, Whiteley; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Henderson, Wells, Thompson, Reffell (capt), Moro.
Replacements: Theobald-Thomas, A. Van der Flier, Hurd, Manz, Williams, Allan, Bailey, Woodward.
Leinster: J. O’Brien; T. O’Brien, Ioane, Henshaw, Lowe; Byrne, Gibson-Park; P McCarthy, Kelleher, Furlong, J McCarthy, Ryan, Conan, J. Van der Flier, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Sheehan, Boyle, Clarkson, Mangan, Deegan, McGrath, Prendergast, Frawley.
Match officials
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant referees: Vincent Blasco Baque (France) and Julien Caulier (France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
