Stuart Hooper back for Bath for Premiership semi against Leicester
Last Updated: 22/05/15 2:56pm
Stuart Hooper has made a return to the Bath team in one of three changes for their Aviva Premiership semi-final against Leicester.
Hooper missed Bath's last two fixtures - wins over Harlequins and Gloucester - and the club captain now makes a welcome return to lead his side in their last-four clash with the Tigers at the Recreation Ground.
In the only other change to the Bath pack, last week's substitute Ross Batty is promoted to the starting team alongside props Paul James and David Wilson in the front row, as Rob Webber drops to the bench.
Jonathan Joseph, last week announced as the players' player of the year and England player of the year at the RPA awards, starts in the No 13 jersey in the only change to the backline. Joseph partners Kyle Eastmond in the midfield in what is an all-international backline, with Ireland's Peter Stringer starting at scrum-half.
Stringer's half-back partner, George Ford, makes his 50th appearance for the club.
Loosehead prop Marcos Ayerza makes a return to the starting line-up in the only change to the team that started in Leicester's 22-14 victory over Northampton Saints at Welford Road last weekend.
Ayerza moves up from the bench to replace Logovi'i Mulipola, who misses out through injury. Michele Rizzo has taken Ayerza's place among the replacements.
Hooker Neil Briggs joins Rizzo on the bench, along with George Catchpole.
The last time these two sides met it was a 17-8 victory to the Tigers at Welford Road, though Bath hammered their guests 45-0 the last time they met at the Rec.
Bath: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 George Ford, 9 Peter Stringer, 1 Paul James, 2 Ross Batty, 3 David Wilson, 4 Stuart Hooper (c), 5 Dave Attwood, 6 Sam Burgess, 7 Francois Louw , 8 Leroy Houston.
Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Dominic Day, 20 Matt Garvey, 21 Carl Fearns, 22 Chris Cook , 23 Ollie Devoto.
Leicester: 15 Niall Morris, 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Christian Loamanu, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs (c), 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Brad Thorn, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Ed Slater, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Jordan Crane.
Replacements: 16 Neil Briggs, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Sebastian De Chaves, 20 Jamie Gibson, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Tommy Bell, 23 George Catchpole.