Leicester team to play northampton: premiership semi-final - ruck

STEVE BORTHWICK HAS NAMED HIS LEICESTER TEAM TO PLAY NORTHAMPTON SAINTS IN THEIR GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP SEMI-FINAL AT WELFORD ROAD. __ * REFEREE: Matthew Carley (121st Premiership game, 5th

semi-final). * ASSISTANT REFEREES: Craig Maxwell-Keys & Jack Makepeace. TMO: Stuart Terheege. * CITING OFFICER: Duncan Bell * MATTIOLI WOODS WELFORD ROAD, 4.30PM – LIVE ON BT SPORT OPTA

FACTS * Leicester Tigers have won three of their last four Premiership matches against Northampton Saints (L1) after winning just one of the previous five (L4); however, three of their last

four defeats against Northampton Saints have come at home. The Tigers won their only previous home tie against Saints in the semi-finals of the Premiership (11-3 in May 2011). * Leicester

Tigers have lost their last four matches in the play-offs of the Premiership, however, each of those four losses came away from home; in fact, they have won all seven of their previous

semi-final ties at home, without conceding over 16 points on any occasion. * Leicester Tigers have won five of their last six Premiership matches (L1), including their last three in a row;

they have won all 12 of their matches at home in the league this term, with those wins coming by an average margin of 15 points. * Northampton Saints have lost their last two matches in the

play-offs of the Premiership after winning three of their previous four (L1); they have won just one of their previous six semi-final ties away from home (v Saracens, 2012/13). * Northampton

Saints have won six of their last seven Premiership matches (L1) after losing four in a row previously; however, their only defeat during that period came in their most recent away game

(38-42 v Saracens in Round 25). Saints have scored 32+ points in each of their last six matches * Leicester Tigers have averaged 35 kicks from hand per game in this season’s Premiership, no

other side has averaged 30+; consequently, they are the only side to average 1000+ kicking metres per game in the league this season (1091) – Northampton Saints rank third for kicking meters

this term (835 per game). * Leicester Tigers have conceded just eight 22 entries per game in the Premiership this season, fewer than any other side, while they’re also the only team to

conceded fewer than two points per 22 entry (1.92). * Northampton have recorded an average gain of 4.5 metres in the Premiership this season, no other side has averaged as many metres over

the gainline per carry this campaign; Saints also rank 2nd for both line breaks (6.4) and offloads (8.3) per game. * No player has averaged more points per 80 minutes than Northampton’s Dan

Biggar (12.3) or Leicester’s George Ford (12.0), of players to feature for at least 600 minutes in the Premiership this season. * Northampton Saints’ Alex Mitchell has been directly involved

in 24 tries in the Premiership this season (11 tries, 13 assists), more than any other player, while he’s also been involved in the joint most line breaks (31, level with Tom de Glanville),

making 17 himself and making 14 break assist passes. LEICESTER TEAM TO PLAY NORTHAMPTON 15 Freddie Steward [54] 14 Harry Potter [39] 13 Matías Moroni [34] 12 Dan Kelly [42] 11 Guy Porter

[43] 10 George Ford [127] 9 Ben Youngs [280] 1 Ellis Genge (c) [109] 2 Julián Montoya [25] 3 Dan Cole [288] 4 Harry Wells [154] 5 Calum Green [89] 6 Hanro Liebenberg (vc) [57] 7 Tommy

Reffell [76] 8 Jasper Wiese [43] REPLACEMENTS 16 Charlie Clare [50] 17 Nephi Leatigaga [66] 18 Joe Heyes [99] 19 Ollie Chessum [29] 20 George Martin [37] 21 Jack van Poortvliet [47] 22

Freddie Burns [101] 23 Nemani Nadolo [36] NORTHAMPTON SAINTS XV: 15 Tommy Freeman, 14 Matt Proctor, 13 Fraser Dingwall, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Alex

Mitchell; 1 Emmanuel Iyogun, 2 Sam Matavesi, 3 Ehren Painter, 4 Alex Coles, 5 Api Ratuniyarawa, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Lewis Ludlam (c), 8 Juarno Augustus REPLACEMENTS: 16 Mike Haywood, 17 Alex

Waller, 18 Oisín Heffernan, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Aaron Hinkley, 21 Tom James, 22 James Grayson, 23 Piers Francis EDITORS PICKS: