Saracens will be hoping to keep their win streak going into 2016 as they host Leicester Tigers-a team that have never won at Allianz Park, but are looking a very different prospect under the influence of Aaron Mauger- but the Tigers will want to continue their good form as they have only lost once this season and sit third in the Aviva Premiership.
The match kicks off at 15:15 on Saturday and both teams will be wanting to start the new year with a bang. The Saracens side sees three changes as smiley Springbok Schalk Brits comes into the front row alongside Mako Vunipola and Pertus Du Plessis at 1 and 3 respectively. George Kruis and Maro Itoje continue their partnership in the absence of club-captain Alistair Hargreaves. In the backrow Michael Rhodes is on the blindside with Will Fraser at openside, with big Billy Vunipola at number 8.
In the back, Richard Wigglesworth will control proceedings from scrumhalf with the experienced head Charlie Hodgson at flyhalf. Brad Barritt will continue to captain the side from inside centre and this week he will patner Argentine international and World Cup star Marcelo Bosh in the centres. The back three looks extremely dangerous with USA Eagles star Chris Wyles on the left wing and, England internationals hoping to get back in favor, Chris Ashton (right wing) and Alex Goode (fullback).
The bench is made up of Jamie George, Rhys Gill, Titi Lamositele, Jim Hamilton, Jackson Wray, Niel De Kock, Owen Farrell and Duncan Taylor.
The Leicester Tigers teamsheet looks strong as well so we should be in for a very good game. Marcos Ayerza starts in the front row, the Argentine international will be making his 150th appearance for the Tigers and he starts alongside the young Harry Thacker, who moves in to replace Tom Youngs. Fraser Balmain completes the front row as he is picked ahead of Dan Cole at tight head. In the second row, Graham Kitchener partners Dom Barrow and the back row consists of captain Ed Slater and Tom Croft on the flanks, with Laurence Pearce at number 8.
Leicester’s scrumhalf is Sam Harrison and his half-back partner is Freddie Burns. Leicester are still without Manu Tuilagi and Jean De Villiers, so Seremaia Bai partners Matthew Tait in the centres, with the latter moving across from fullback. Telusa Veainu will hope to continue his amazing form at fullback and Vereniki Goneva starts on the left wing with Gonzalo Camacho, making his first Premiership start for the Tigers since joining two and a half years ago, on the right wing.
The bench is made up of Tom Youngs, Logovi’i Mulipola, Dan Cole, Michael Fitzgerald, Lachlan McCaffrey, Charlie Thacker, Owen Williams and Adam Thompstone.
This week Saracens have been accused of being boring and Leicester had to come from behind last week to beat the Falcons, so both sides will be wanting to prove their critics wrong in what promises to be a very close encounter that Eddie Jones will be watching closely.
