| Venue: Brentford Community Stadium Date: 26 April 2022 Kick-off: 19:45 GMT Coverage: Updates on BBC local radio and live scores on the BBC Sport website |
London Irish and Leicester Tigers both make a whole ruck of changes for Tuesday’s Premiership Cup semi-final at the Brentford Community Stadium.
The Exiles have just three starters, centre Curtis Rona, prop Marcel van der Merwe and number eight Albert Tuisue, who also started Friday’s 42-14 Premiership win over Newcastle Falcons.
Tigers have gone even further, making 14 changes to their starting line-up.
Sean Jansen is the only player who started on Saturday at Harlequins.
They also brought Tom Cowan-Dickie and Bryce Hegarty off the bench in the Premiership leaders’ fourth league defeat of the season, the 26-20 loss at Quins.
Tigers have 18 players in their matchday squad who have made their Tigers first-team debut so far this season, while two of their bench, Simon Koroiyadi and Joseph Woodward, are still members of the under-18 academy programme.
This is the 11th staging of this much rejigged competition since it was no longer rewarded with a Twickenham final in 2010.
The winners will meet whoever wins Wednesday’s second semi-final between Gloucester and Worcester.
Both Leicester and the Exiles have Premiership games this weekend.
The Tigers are at home to Bristol on Saturday, while Irish host fellow play-off hopefuls Wasps on Sunday.
London Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney:
“It’s an exciting prospect for everyone involved. There’s a place in the final up for grabs.
“I know both sets of players will be desperate to get there.
“We are going to focus on ourselves and put our best foot forwards, then see where that takes us.”
Leicester Tigers assistant coach Brett Deacon:
“London Irish are a side capable of scoring points from almost anywhere on the pitch and have some attacking threats throughout.
“It is a great privilege for these players, a lot of them still young men and early on in their rugby journey, to represent the club in a semi-final.
“Just like what is asked of every Leicester Tigers team, every week, we want to see a performance on Tuesday night in London that is something our supporters will be proud of.”
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.
