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The Tigers freshly appointed club captain Ollie Chessum has received approval to come back to league matches facing the Quins this weekend. Although the vast bulk of Lions tour squad members are barred from returning to their clubs until the following week, the Tigers forward has obtained an exception.

The 25-year-old, who spent time on the sidelines for much of last season, ended up starting a limited number of fixtures and featured from the replacements in a handful of games. Despite participating in the full Lions series versus Australia, the welfare oversight panel managing the well-being of elite athletes has allowed him to face Harlequins at Leicester's stadium on Saturday.

Divergent Circumstances for Lions Teammates

The Quins, on the other hand, will have to do without Chessum’s Lions teammate Marcus Smith, who is required to postpone one more week prior to his return. Unlike Owen Farrell, who also missed time for a large part of the prior campaign and returned for the start of the domestic season, Smith played in thirty-four games during the last campaign, including additional tour matches and is required to have a required downtime.

Drive from Historic Setback

Chessum, on the other hand, is eager to start and prove that the Tigers can prosper in the new campaign in spite of the exit of the head coach and several senior players. Leicester featured in the Prem final last June, but Chessum says their crushing 80-12 continental competition setback by Toulouse is the game that has provided their primary inspiration. “We felt strongly of ‘We are never going to that place again’. No matter how we get ready, regardless of how we are coached, regardless of tactics, we are not returning.”

“It is the biggest setback in the club’s history and to say you were part of that is embarrassing honestly. So, it hurts. You will always look back and just guarantee you avoid experiencing a outcome like that again.”

He added, “I remember Cheik was almost in tears in the changing room. The explanation we were in the title decider last year was because of what occurred after that fixture in Toulouse. There was a noticeable transformation in every player.”

Injury Updates from Other Teams

Bristol, at the same time, have revealed they have will be without starting fly-half AJ McGinty for nine months after he picked up a knock in their opening win over Leicester. McGinty has gone under the knife on his heel on the very day that his half-back partner Harry Randall had to go for an operation on his hamstring. Randall should recover in the new year, while the comeback for winger Gabriel Itoye, who also injured his hamstring versus the Tigers and requires an operation, remains uncertain.

Bath, for their part, have retained Max Ojomoh at fly-half for their match at the Rec against Sale on the weekend's opener. The Sharks, who recorded a successful opening to the term in the initial fixture, have made two enforced changes to their first team, with Hyron Andrews and Sam Bedlow taking over from the injured Jacques Vermeulen and Rekeiti Ma’asi White correspondingly.