By The Telegraph (World News) | Created at 2024-10-20 13:00:30 | Updated at 2024-10-20 19:53:06
6 hours ago
When these two powerhouses of English rugby get together the stakes are never anything but sky high. But today the match has been given added significance as they are playing for the Ed Slater Cup.
Slater, the former captain of both of domestic rugby’s aristocrats, is suffering from motor neurone disease, and so in his honour the clubs have played for a trophy named after him every time they’ve faced each other since December 2022.
So while the search for valuable league points is key for both teams (the Tigers lie in fourth, and the Cherry and Whites in eighth at this early stage of the season) Michael Cheika admits his side have another incentive to win this afternoon.
“We don’t have that cup, which means we have to bring our player, bring Ed back to us,” Cheika told BBC Radio Leicester.
“I’ve never met Ed, but I can see when we have talked about it and discussed it during the week that it is an important thing for the lads here.
“When it has that little bit of extra meaning and our ability to have that emotion and control that emotion in the game will be really important.”
The Ed Slater Cup has been played for four times, but with Gloucester winning the last time the pair faced each other they hold the trophy.
In a bid to win it back Cheika has named an unchanged pack for the first time this season, with two changes coming in the backs.
Gloucester start with former Tiger Charlie Atkinson at fly-half, replacing the injured Gareth Anscombe.
Atkinson is one of three changes to the starting XV for the visitors, who also welcome in prop Kirill Gotovtsev and wing Ioan Jones, whilst powerful Fijian backrow Albert Tuisue returns to the bench.
Kick-off is set for 3pm so stay here for all the pre-match build-up and action.
