RUGBY UNION: Banking on internationals (From The Oxford Times)

RUGBY UNION: Banking on internationals

10:00am Saturday 1st September 2012 in Rugby By Ed Mezzetti, Sports reporter specialising in Rugby, Cricket and Athletics. Call me on 01865 425456

LONDON Welsh have named seven internationals in their starting XV to host Leicester Tigers tomorrow (2).

Summer signings Phil MacKenzie (Canada), Sonny Parker (Wales), Franck Montanella (France), Paulica Ion (Romania) and Kirill Kulemin (Russia) start alongside former Scotland fly half Gordon Ross and Tonga centre Hudson Tonga’uiha.

Last season’s runners-up Leicester field England internationals Manu Tuilagi, Anthony Allen, Toby Flood, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling and Thomas Waldrom – plus George Chuter and Jordan Crane on the bench.

London Welsh : Arscott, MacKenzie, Parker, Tonga’uiha, Ajuwa, Ross, Holmes, Montanella, Briggs, Ion, Mills (capt), Kulemin, Williamson, Beach, Browne. Reps: Bateman, Bristow, Joly, Purdy, To’oala, Runciman, Jewell, Scott.

Leicester Tigers : Murphy (capt), Hamilton, Tuilagi, Allen, Goneva, Flood, Young, Mulipola, T Youngs, Cole, Andrew, Parling, Mafi, Salvi, Waldrom. Reps: Chuter, Stankovich, Castrogiovanni, Deacon, Crane, Harrison, Ford, Smith.