Leicester Tigers v Edinburgh Rugby: TV channel; kick-off time; team news; form guide; odds

Edinburgh Rugby take on Leicester Tigers in the last 16 of the Heineken European Champions Cup on Friday. Here is all you need to know:

Match details

Who: Leicester Tigers v Edinburgh Rugby. What: Heineken European Champions Cup round of 16. Where: Welford Road. When: Friday, March 31, 2023. Kick-off 8pm. Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France). Assistant 1: Ludovic Cayre (France). Assistant 2: Jonathan Gasnier (France). TMO: Thomas Charabas (France).

TV and ticket info

BT Sport is screening the match live. Match tickets are still available and can be booked online, by phoning 0116 319 8888 (option 2) or visit the ticket units on matchday. Adult tickets start from £25. Turnstiles open at 6.30pm.

Team news

Edinburgh welcome back Scotland internationals and key players Pierre Schoeman, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson and Duhan van der Merwe as head coach Mike Blair names five changes to the XV that faced Connacht last weekend. WP Nel – who featured from the bench in Galway – starts at tighthead prop in the only other alteration. Matt Currie, Wes Goosen, Nick Haining, Henry Immelman, Ben Muncaster, Harry Paterson, Pierce Phillips, Charlie Savala and Angus Williams are unavailable.

Edinburgh Rugby: 15. Emiliano Boffelli (28 appearances); 14. Darcy Graham (57), 13. Mark Bennett (85), 12. James Lang (36), 11. Duhan van der Merwe (72); 10. Blair Kinghorn (131), 9. Henry Pyrgos (81); 1. Pierre Schoeman (95), 2. Stuart McInally (174), 3. WP Nel (185), 4. Sam Skinner (11), 5. Grant Gilchrist (187) Co-captain, 6. Jamie Ritchie (95) Co-captain, 7. Hamish Watson (137), 8. Viliame Mata (113). Replacements: 16. Dave Cherry (68), 17. Boan Venter (43), 18. Luan de Bruin (19), 19. Marshall Sykes (39), 20. Luke Crosbie (83), 21. Ben Vellacott (36), 22. Cammy Hutchison (18), 23. Damien Hoyland (104).

Edinburgh take on Leicester at Welford Road in the Heineken European Champions Cup round of 16

Leicester head coach Richard Wigglesworth has made six changes to his starting side from last weekend’s Gallagher Premiership win against Bristol, which includes a return to action for Guy Porter who missed the bonus-point victory over the Bears. The only other changes to the starting backline are the inclusions of Freddie Steward and Jack van Poortvliet, who came off the bench in last week’s league outing, at full-back and scrum-half. In the pack, James Cronin, Dan Cole and Tommy Reffell - who all came off the bench against Bristol - are named to start.

Leicester Tigers: 15. Freddie Steward (68 appearances); 14. Anthony Watson (12), 13. Guy Porter (56), 12. Jimmy Gopperth (13), 11. Harry Potter (62); 10. Handré Pollard (10), 9. Jack van Poortvliet (61); 1. James Cronin (12), 2. Julián Montoya captain (39), 3. Dan Cole (305), 4. George Martin (54), 5. Cameron Henderson (32), 6. Hanro Liebenberg (80), 7. Tommy Reffell (95), 8. Olly Cracknell (20). Replacements: 16. Charlie Clare (74), 17. Tom West (6), 18. Joe Heyes (119), 19. Eli Snyman (31), 20. Jasper Wiese (56), 21. Sam Wolstenholme (0), 22. Charlie Atkinson (14), 23. Dan Kelly (51).

Form guide

Leicester are in form. Edinburgh are not. Mike Blair’s team have won just one of their past five games in the United Rugby Championship. Richard Wigglesworth's high-flying Tigers team have won five successive English Gallagher Premiership games and are second in the table. Both teams won three of their four pool stage matches to qualify for the knockout stages, with Leicester losing their final game at home to Ospreys and Edinburgh only being defeated away to Saracens in round three.

Head-to-head

The clubs have met just twice in the European Champions Cup history – during the 2007/08 pool stage. Edinburgh won at home. Leicester won 39-0 at Welford Road.

Coach thoughts

Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair: ““Some of Edinburgh’s biggest moments have come on the European stage and we understand how significant this match is to everyone connected to the club – fans, sponsors, players and staff alike.” He added: We need to be more ruthless. We’ve talked about that all season. But we’ve also talked about actions speaking louder than words. We’ve got the answers, we know the reasons, but our actions have got to mimic the conversations we’re having. We understand where it’s not quite clicking, but our actions have to speak stronger.”

Leicester head coach Richard Wigglesworth: “We only have one thing to think about now and that is Edinburgh coming here. We can only control preparing properly for a game against a side packed with Scotland internationals.”

Bookies’ odds

Leicester Tigers 1/4; Tie 22/1; Edinburgh 3/1, with McBookie.

Another thing

Edinburgh have two dead rubbers left to play in the United Rugby Championship, so this match represents their last chance to keep dreams alive of silverware at the end of the season.