 Healey will have to try and make his mark off the bench |
Austin Healey has been dropped from the Leicester team to face Leinster in Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final. Healey is replaced on the wing by Irish international Geordan Murphy, with Sam Vesty handed the number 15 shirt.
"Sam Vesty has been outstanding for us all season. Austin, at times, has been mercurial; other times he hasn't," said Tigers coach John Wells.
The Tigers also have a doubt over England tight-head Julian White, who was injured in training on Wednesday.
"We did some live scrummaging and Julian's picked up a bit of a 'stinger'," said Wells.
"I don't know how good or bad it is, we'll know over the next 12 hours."
Vesty for Healey, with Murphy shifting to the wing, is one of just three changes from the Leicester side that lost 23-22 to Leeds in the Premiership last weekend.
The other switches are up front, with fit-again England prop Graham Rowntree returning at loose-head in place of Darren Morris. In the back row flankers Lewis Moody and Will Johnson swap places, with Moody forcing Johnson onto the bench.
England lock Ben Kay is struggling to make the replacements bench as he bids to shake off an ankle injury sustained in the final Six Nations game against Scotland.
Leicester: Vesty; Murphy, Smith, Gibson, Lloyd, Goode, Ellis; Rowntree, Chuter, White; M Johnson (capt), L Deacon; Moody, Back, Corry.
Replacements (from): Buckland, Holford, Morris, Kay/B Deacon, H Tuilagi, W Johnson, Bemand, Broadfoot, A Tuilagi, Healey.
MMIX
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