🔗 Share this article

Leicester Tigers freshly appointed team skipper Ollie Chessum has been given the green light to come back to league matches against Harlequins in the upcoming match. While the majority of Lions tour squad members are barred from returning to their clubs until a later date, the lock has obtained an exception.

The 25-year-old, who was injured for a large chunk of the prior term, began in 16 games and featured from the replacements in a handful of games. Despite participating in the full Lions series facing the Australian side, the player welfare committee supervising the health of star performers has permitted him to take on Harlequins at Leicester's stadium this weekend.

Contrasting Circumstances for Tour Colleagues

Harlequins, on the other hand, will lack Chessum’s Lions teammate Marcus Smith, who has to delay another week prior to his return. In contrast to Owen Farrell, who was similarly absent for an extended period and made his comeback for Saracens’ opening Prem game, Smith played in a heavy schedule during the last campaign, comprising five non-Test Lions tour games and is required to have a mandatory full 10-week break.

Motivation from Historic Setback

Chessum, on the other hand, is keen to begin and show that Leicester can succeed in the new campaign despite the departure of the head coach and several senior players. Leicester reached the league final at the end of last season, but Chessum reveals their thumping eighty to twelve European Cup loss by the French side is the match that has provided their most enduring motivation. “There was just a sense of ‘We are never going to that place again’. No matter how we train, regardless of how we are guided, no matter 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 really. So, it pains. You will forever remember and just make sure you never go through a outcome like that again.”

He stated, “I recall Cheik was visibly upset in the locker room. The factor we were in the championship match the previous season was because of what happened after that game in Toulouse. There was a real change in every player.”

Injury Updates from Rival Clubs

Bristol, meanwhile, have disclosed they have lost starting fly-half AJ McGinty for an extended period after he was injured in their opening win over the Tigers. McGinty has gone under the knife on his heel on the identical day that his scrum-half Harry Randall required an operation on his thigh muscle. Randall is expected to return in the early next year, while the comeback for outside back Gabriel Itoye, who likewise hurt his hamstring versus the Tigers and needs surgery, has yet to be determined.

The Blue, Black and White, in their case, have retained Max Ojomoh at number ten for their match at the Rec facing Sale Sharks on Friday. The Sharks, who similarly had a successful opening to the term in the first round, have made several necessary alterations to their run-on side, with two new faces taking over from the sidelined the absent duo respectively.