Doncaster Knights will be visiting Meadow Lane to kick-off the Cup season in good spirits following their win against Moseley on Sunday.

With two Championship wins under their belt already this season Nottingham will go into the match with intentions of extending their winning streak.

Last year saw the Green and Whites bow out of the British and Irish Cup in the group stage but the team will be hoping to go better this time around.

Glenn Delaney, Director of Rugby, said: “Team selection for Wednesday night has centred on giving players an opportunity to play whilst maintaining the desire to progress in the competition. Our academy provides seven of the starting XV which is testament to our development ethos at the club.

“John Widdowson has developed a high class environment which has enabled these young players to progress to their debut starts in competitive first team action. The team is augmented by Matt Shields who joined from Tyndale this season and Jo Munro who joined from Loughborough.

“Finlay Barnham will captain the team from nine and joins Joe Cobden in an exciting leadership team of halfbacks. The team is completed with Jethro Rawling making his first start and Ben Pienaar, Richard de Carpentier and Dante Mama, who are dual registered with Leicester for the season.

“Doncaster will be a very tough challenge but we are very excited about how this team can perform and come together. “

Kick-off is at 7.45 pm and tickets are available on the gate priced at just £18 for adults, £13 for concessions and £4 for Under 16s.
1) Keiron Stone
2) Oli Taylor
3) Matt Shields
4) Tom Calladine
5) Mitchell Todd
6) Richard De Carpentier
7) Jethro Rawling
8) Ben Pienaar
9) Finlay Barnham (C)
10) Joe Cobden
11) Ryan Hough
12) Jack Bradford
13) Jo Munro
14) James Stokes
15) Dante Mama

Bench

16) Charlie Clare
17) Neil Fowkes
18) Jonny Baird
19) Rupert Cooper
20) Joel Haigh
21) Juan Pablo Socino
22) Jack Cobden

A youthful Tigers team will travel to Edgeley Park to play Newcastle Falcons, Worcester Warriors and hosts Sale Sharks.
Alex Lewington, the 19-year-old Academy wing and full-back, will captain the squad.

Wing Lee Robinson, who scored 45 tries in just over 100 appearances for Bristol Rugby and made his Tigers debut in the Aviva Premiership fixture away to Saracens last season, provides senior experience.

Tigers also include lock Rob Conquest, centre Ed Rolston and back-rower Jethro Rawling, who all played their part in the success of the Development XV in securing last season’s Aviva Premiership A League title.

Academy manager Neil McCarthy said: “The JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby Sevens gives our young players exposure in a really good competition.

“This year in particular, because there are senior players away at the World Cup, it gives some of the younger players an opportunity to show their worth.”

Lewington, who made two first-team appearances in last season’s LV= Cup, said the chance to wear the Tigers colours was a huge incentive in itself.

“It’s awesome to wear a Tigers shirt,” he said. “It’s always a special feeling every time you put one on and you cannot take it for granted. You want to treasure it.”

Leicester Tigers (JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby Sevens, Friday, July 29, Edgeley Park, kick-off 7.30pm)

1 Jake Albon, back row
2 Rob Conquest, second row
3 Harry Wells, second row/back row, England Under-16A
4 Ed Rolston, centre
5 Jethro Rawling, back row, England Under-19
6 Lee Robinson, wing, Barbarians
7 John Hale, centre
8 Alex Lewington, wing/full back, England Under-18
9 Tahir El Mahdi, wing, England Under-16A
10 Javiah Pohe, centre, England Under-18
11 Tom Bowen, full-back
12 Scott Steele, scrum-half

Coach John Fletcher was always confident that his side had the talent to test the visitors and they fulfilled all his expectations in holding the whip-hand from the moment full-back Jonathan Joseph (London Irish) crossed for the opening try and fly-half Jake Sharp (Saracens) converted.

Sharp claimed the second after 19 minutes and converted his own score for a 14-0 lead and while Australian centre Matthew Garland cut the deficit with a 29th minute try to raise the visitors’ morale and make the interval scoreline 14-5.

However, a third try from wingman Earl Collins (Worcester Warriors) on 40 minutes opened up the lead once again, although once again the tourists refused to concede the struggle and rallied with a try by flanker Jack de Guingand that scrum-half and captain Matthew Lucas converted to bring his side within a score at 19-12.

Sharp then steadied the home team’s nerves with a penalty before leaving the field as a precaution ahead of an outing on the Saracens bench against Castres on Friday, but Joseph had the last word when he crossed for the final try after 68 minutes.

A cameo moment for the hosts came when 16-year-old replacement centre Mark Jennings from Lymm High School and Sale Sharks took the field when the management elected to use all their replacements.

The tourists now stay in the North West to prepare for their next game, an international against England Under 18s at Sale FC’s Heywood Road headquarters on Sunday (2pm), when coach Fletcher will once again be in charge.

“The game was very tough, physical battle,” said Fletcher: “We lacked precision at times and it was a bit scrappy but for us to score four tries against opposition of that calibre after only half a day’s preparation was a pretty good effort,” said Fletcher. “So far as the tourists are concerned, they compete well for the ball and they are very dangerous in broken play situations, as you would expect.”

England U19 Regional Academies 27 (Tries: Joseph 2, Sharp, Collins. Con: Sharp 2. Pen: Sharp) Australia Schools 12 (Tries: Garland, De Guingand. Con: Lucas)

England Academies squad: forwards: Harry Allen (Saracens), Pete Austin (London Irish), Ryan Bower (Leicester Tigers), Matt Everard (Leicester Tigers), Ben Glynn (Bristol Rugby), Tom Hicks (Northampton Saints), Sam Jones (London Wasps), Charlie Matthews (Harlequins), Jethro Rawling (Leicester Tigers), Ollie Steadman (Leeds Carnegie), Henry Thomas (Sales Sharks), Mako Vunipola (Bristol Rugby). Backs: Tommy Bell (Sales Sharks), Earl Collins (Worcester Warriors), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Ryan Glynn (Sales Sharks), Mark Jennings (Sale Sharks), Jonathan Joseph (London Irish), Jake Sharp (Saracens), Andy Short (Worcester), Sam Stuart (Harlequins), Marcus Watson (London Irish).