Investec Champions Cup: Leicester Tigers make three changes for Stormers opener

Solomone Kata (right) has made a big impact since joining Leicester from Exeter

Leicester Tigers head coach Dan McKellar has made three changes to the starting XV that thrashed Newcastle for their opening Investec Champions Cup game against Stormers on Sunday.

Winger Josh Bassett, centre Solomone Kata and lock Cameron Henderson all come into the side.

Seven Tigers players will make their debut in the Champions Cup including academy hooker Archie Vanes.

South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard starts the game alongside Ben Youngs.

Pollard kicked all of South Africa's points in the 12-11 Rugby World Cup final victory over New Zealand at the Stade de France, and comes up against a side he played regularly during his time with Bulls in Super Rugby.

Number eight Jasper Wiese, who came on in the final for South Africa, will also start.

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Former London Irish wing Ben Loader starts for Stormers after his move to the South African side following the demise of London Irish.

Leicester, who have won the European Champions Cup twice, currently sit seventh in the Premiership after a difficult start to the season.

The Stormers have also had a challenging start to the season having lost four of their opening seven games and sit 10th in the United Rugby Championship - a competition they won in 2022 and came runner-up in last season.

"Finishing that first block of league games the way we did was really pleasing," McKellar told Leicester's website.

"The Investec Champions Cup is a competition, personally, I've been excited to be a part of since I joined the club. These are the games players and coaches want to be part of and we know there'll be a big atmosphere."

The Tigers will also face tough games against Stade Francais, La Rochelle and Leinster in Pool Four.

Line-ups

Leicester: Steward; Bassett, Scott, Kata, Hassell-Collins; Pollard, Youngs; Van Wyk, Montoya, Cole, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese.

Replacements: Vanes, Cronin, Heyes, Wells, Hatherell, Whiteley, Shillcock, Kelly.

Stormers: Blommetjies; Skosan, Hartzenberg, Du Plessis, Loader; Matthee, De Wet; Sithole, Ntubeni, Harris, Stassen, Evans, Xaba, Engelbrecht, Morabe.

Replacements: Kotze, Blose, Mazibuko, Sjoblom, Pokomela, Theunissen, Ungerer, Smit.

Referee: Tual Trainini