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Youngs on Tigers' bench as Sale recall England duo

Ben Youngs in action for Leicester Tigers against BathRex Features

Ben Youngs retired from England duty after the 2023 World Cup

Ben Youngs and Dan Cole will start their final Leicester Tigers match at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on the bench.

The former England duo, who both won well over 100 international caps and will retire at the end of the season, are among Leicester's replacements for Saturday's Premiership play-off semi-final against Sale.

Tigers head coach Michael Cheika has made three changes from the side which beat Newcastle Falcons 42-20 last weekend.

Youngs - looking to bow out with a sixth Premiership title with Tigers - and Cole, chasing a fifth crown, are replaced in the starting line-up by Jack van Poortvliet and Joe Heyes, while Adam Radwan will play on the wing in place of Josh Bassett.

Sale have England duo Tom Roebuck and Tom Curry both available after injury forced them to miss the final game of the regular season as Sharks beat Exeter to clinch their semi-final spot.

They are the only changes made by director of rugby Alex Sanderson as he tries to steer Sale to a second Premiership final in three years.

Roebuck, one of four Sharks players named in the Premiership team of the season alongside Ben Curry, fly-half George Ford and centre Rob du Preez, has recovered from a calf issue and comes in on the right wing for Tom O'Flaherty.

Scotland winger Arron Reed starts on the left and Joe Carpenter at full-back completes the back three.

Flanker Tom Curry is restored at blind-side with brother Ben on the opposite side and Jean-Luc du Preez at number eight.

They will operate behind an all-England front row where props Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour start either side of hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.

Player-of-the-year nominee Ford partners England scrum-half Raffi Quirke for the second week in a row with Rekeiti Ma'asi-White and ex-Springbok Rob du Preez, who played every minute of every Premiership game this season, in the centres.

Outgoing Tigers boss Cheika brings fit-again Australian centre Izaia Perese back among the replacements as former England international Mike Brown drops out of the matchday squad.

That could spell the end of Brown's professional career as he is also retiring at the end of the season.

The match will also feature Leicester skipper Julian Montoya leading out the side for the final time at home ahead of his summer move to Pau.

Tom Roebuck carries the ball and leads a break for Sale against Saracens Getty Images

Tom Roebuck has recovered from a calf strain to take his place in the Sale side

Starting line-ups

Leicester: Steward, Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hassell-Collins, Pollard, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Montoya, Hayes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Cronin, Cole, Rogerson, Ilione, Youngs, Volavola, Perese.

Sale: Carpenter, Roebuck, Robert du Preez, Ma'asi-White, Reed, Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, Tom Curry, Ben Curry, Jean-Luc du Preez.

Replacements: McElroy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Dan du Preez, Warr, James, O'Flaherty.

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