Leicester Tigers announce team to face Saracens

Geordan Murphy and Tom Croft both make their return to the Leicester Tigers line-up for their top-of-the-table clash with Saracens at Welford Road on Saturday (kick-off 8pm).

Full-back Murphy is named captain on his 297th start for the club for a game which sees third-placed Tigers face a Saracens team just one place and one point ahead of them in the Aviva Premiership.

Croft returns to the Tigers back-row, while Ed Slater takes over from Louis Deacon at lock. Matt Smith, Dan Bowden and George Ford return to the backline this weekend.

"We weren't far away at Quins last week, we defended very well and scored two good tries, and this is another important game against another good side who are just above us in the table," said Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill.

Tigers have eight players on Six Nations duty this week, while Louis Deacon, Anthony Allen, Niall Morris, Boris Stankovich and Steve Mafi are unavailable due to injury.

Leicester Tigers team

15 Geordan Murphy (capt)

14 Scott Hamilton

13 Matt Smith

12 Dan Bowden

11 Adam Thompstone

10 George Ford

9 Sam Harrison

1 Marcos Ayerza

2 Rob Hawkins

3 Logovi'i Mulipola

4 Ed Slater

5 Graham Kitchener

6 Tom Croft

7 Julian Salvi

8 Jordan Crane

Replacements

16 George Chuter

17 Kieran Brookes

18 Fraser Balmain

19 Brett Deacon

20 Richard Thorpe

21 Micky Young

22 Matt Cornwell

23 Mathew Tait