Heineken Cup Match Preview: Aironi vs. Leicester Tigers - Rugby League
English professional Rugby Union outfit, Leicester Tigers, will kick start their 2011/12 Heineken Cup as they take on the Italian professional Rugby Union club, Aironi, at the Stadio Luigi
Zaffanella on Saturday, November 12.
Tigers will make their 105th appearance in the European knockout tournament. Tigers will enter the match with a relatively poor performance behind them during the 2011/12 Aviva Premiership
season. Tigers so far have just managed to win two of their eight games in the season and are placed at the 10th position on the table with 14 points after the end of the eighth round of the season.
However, Tigers record is still better then Aironi who managed to register just six points after their eight games in the 2011/12 RaboDirect Pro12 campaign.
Tigers have made three changes in their starting lineup as compare to their squad, which took the field against the London Irish in their last week Aviva Premiership encounters. The changes
include the return of Dan Cole at the prop position in the starting lineup in place of Martin Castrogiovanni, who will start the match from the bench.
Castrogiovanni will mark his Heineken Cup golden jubilee as he make his 50th appearance in the competition from the bench.
Besides Cole, Niall Morris and Andy Forsyth comes into the starting lineup in place of Scott Hamilton and Horacio Agulla. Agulla sustained an injury to his hand as he joins the likes of Anthony
Allen, Mathew Tait, Manu Tuilagi, and Billy Twelvetrees in the injured list.
In addition to this, Tigers have named their two changes on the bench for their weekend’s away encounter. The duo of Steve Mafi and Micky Young return to the match day 23 man squad their last
week Aviva Premiership Rugby 'A' League match.
For Aironi, former New Zealand Super Rugby Franchise, Hurricane scrum half Tyson Keats will start the match in the starting lineup.
Both teams have announced their match day squads for their weekend encounter. The squads are given below
Leicester Tigers
Starting XV: 15 Geordan Murphy, 14 Niall Morris, 13 Matt Smith, 12 Andy Forsyth, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Sam Harrison, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Jules Salvi, 6 Tom Croft,
5 Geoff Parling, 4 Louis Deacon, 3 Dan Cole, 2 George Chuter, 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Boris Stankovich, 18 Martin Castrogiovanni, 19 George Skivington, 20 Steve Mafi, 21 Micky Young, 22 Jeremy Staunton, 23 Scott Hamilton.
Aironi
Starting XV: 15 Ruggero Trevisan, 14 Sinoti Sinoti, 13 Andrea Masi, 12 Matteo Pratichetti, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti, 10 Luciano Orquera, 9 Tyson Keats, 8 Frans Viljoen, 7
Simone Favaro, 6 Nicola Cattina, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Fabio Staibano, 2 Fabio Ongaro, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Replacements: 16 Roberto Santamaria, 17 Matias Aguero, 18 Lorenzo Romano, 19 Josh Sole, 20 Filippo Ferrarini, 21 Giorgio Bronzini, 22 Naas Olivier, 23 Gilberto Pavan.