| Venue: Brentford Community Stadium Date:26 April 2022 Kick-off:GMT 19.45 Coverage: Live scores and updates on BBC Sport. |
London Irish and Leicester Tigers each make a lot of changes for Tuesday’s Premiership Cup semifinal at Brentford Community Stadium.
Only three Exiles starters are available: centre Curtis Rona and prop Marcel van der Merwe. Number eight Albert Tuisue also started Friday’s. 42-14 Premiership win Newcastle Falcons
The Tigers went even further and made 14 changes to their starting lineup.
Sean Jansen is Harlequins’ only starting player.
In the Premiership’s fourth league loss of the season, they also took Tom Cowan-Dickie (and Bryce Hegarty) off the bench. the 26-20 loss at Quins.
The Tigers currently have 18 matchday players who have made their Tigers debut this season. Joseph Woodward and Simon Koroiyadi are both still part of the under-18 academy programme.
Since 2010, it has been a rejigged competition. The Twickenham final was not awarded.
The winners will face the winner of Wednesday’s second semi-final, which was held between Worcester and Gloucester.
This weekend, Premiership games are being played by both the Exiles and Leicester.
On Saturday, the Tigers will be at home in Bristol while the Irish host fellow playoff hopefuls, Wasps, on Sunday.
Declan Kidney, director of rugby in London Irish:
“It’s an exciting prospect. There is still a spot in the final.
“I know that both sets of players are desperate to be there.
“We will be focusing on ourselves and putting our best foot forwards. Then we’ll see what happens.”
Leicester Tigers assistant coach Brett Deacon:
“London Irish can score points almost anywhere on the pitch. They also have some attacking threats.
“It’s a great honor for these players, many of whom are still young men, early in their rugby journey, and to represent the club at a semi-final.
“Just like every Leicester Tigers Team, every week we want to see a performance in London that will make our fans proud.”
London Irish Arundell; Stokes, Joseph, Rona, Cinti; Reid, White; Van der Merwe, Willemse, Parker, Munga, Nott, Cooke (capt), Donnell, Tuisue.
Replacements: Cornish, Dell, Hoskins, Mafi, Cunningham-South, Englefield, Atkins, Cokanasiga.
Leicester Tigers: Hegarty; Browning, Murimurivalu JP Socino, Saumaki; Lancaster, Van Poortvliet (capt), Whitcombe, Cowan-Dickie, Leatigaga, Douglas Bridge, L Chessum, Hall, Ilione, Jansen.
Replacements: Vanes, Richardson, Hurd, Agbongbon, Koroiyadi, Edwards, Cusick, Woodward.