Leicester: Vesty; Murphy, Hipkiss, Lloyd, Varndell; Goode, Healey; Rowntree, Chuter, White, Deacon, Kay, Jennings, Moody, Corry (capt).
Replacements: Buckland, Holford, Collen, Tuilagi, Ellis, Cornwell, Tuilagi.
HEALEY EYES POWERGEN REVENGE
Tigers lost out 39-14 at Twickenham last May in Martin Johnson and Neil Back’s final game for the club and Healey says they won’t repeat the mistakes that put Wasps on their way to victory.
THERE ARE A FEW TICKETS STILL REMAINING FOR THE POWERGEN CUP SEMI-FINAL DOUBLE HEADER FROM THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM TICKET OFFICE, 98 ST. MARY ST. CARDIFF, (NOW UNTIL KICK-OFF)Â OR THE MERCHANDISE BOOTHS, GATE 4, SATURDAY UNTIL KICK OFF
He said: “What happened last year is fresh in our minds and we owe them one. Wasps were very vulnerable last year and we should have beaten them. But we gave them an early try and that gave them the confidence to play better against us than they had done earlier in the season and we lacked energy.”
Tigers have happy memories of playing at the Millennium Stadium – they lifted the Heineken Cup there in 2002 after beating Munster – and Healey says he hopes the roof is closed for the game. “It would be nice to play indoors instead of in the freezing cold. Hopefully they will close the roof a couple of days before the game and get the crowd in early so it warms up! It’s a fantastic arena to play rugby in when there’s a big crowd there.”
Healey is set to be handed the No 9 shirt instead of Harry Ellis, but is backing his Tigers team mate to prove he is England’s best scrum half. Ellis has been replaced by Matt Dawson in England’s last two RBS 6 Nations games and Healey said: “Harry’s had a hard deal. He hasn’t been the one who has been slowing the ball down. By the end of the game when Dawson comes on, the ball is going to be easier and more free because people don’t have the energy they had in the early encounters.
“Harry could do better, but his greatest strength is playing off fast ball. He can be devastating when he is running at teams, but it’s hard for any No 9 in international rugby to run. It’s a very hard decision to make. The role off the scrum half has changed over the last three or four years.”
Wasps: Van Gisbergen; Lewsey, Waters, Abbott, Voyce; Staunton, Reddan; McKenzie, Ibanez, Payne; Shaw, Birkett; Worsley, O’ Connor, Dallaglio (capt).
Replacements: Barrett, J Dawson, Skivington, Haskell, M Dawson, Brooks, Erinle.
