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The Tigers freshly appointed club captain Ollie Chessum has been given the green light to make his return to domestic action versus the Harlequins in the upcoming match. Although the greater part of Lions tour squad members are not being permitted to domestic rugby until a later date, the Leicester player has been granted an exception.

The 25-year-old, who was injured for a significant portion of last season, only started 16 games and came on off the bench four times. Even though participating in all three Lions Tests versus Australia, the player welfare committee supervising the health of top players has authorized him to take on Harlequins at their home ground in the next fixture.

Contrasting Situations for Tour Colleagues

The Quins, in contrast, will lack Chessum’s Lions teammate Marcus Smith, who has to delay an additional week before rejoining the fray. Unlike Owen Farrell, who was also sidelined for a large part of the prior campaign and was reinstated for Saracens’ opening Prem game, Smith participated in a heavy schedule during the last campaign, comprising five non-Test Lions tour games and must take a compulsory rest period.

Drive from Previous Loss

Chessum, however, is eager to start and demonstrate that the Tigers can succeed this season despite the loss of the head coach and several experienced squad members. The Tigers competed in the Prem final in June, but Chessum states their thumping lopsided continental competition setback by the French side is the match that has supplied 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 coached, no matter strategy, we are never going back.”

“It is the most embarrassing loss in the club’s history and to acknowledge participation is shameful truly. So, it stings. You will forever remember and just guarantee you never go through a result like that again.”

He added, “I recall Cheik was visibly upset in the changing room. The explanation we were in the title decider the previous season was because of what transpired after that game in Toulouse. There was a noticeable transformation in the entire squad.”

Injury Updates from Other Teams

Bristol Bears, in the meantime, have disclosed they have will be without first choice fly-half AJ McGinty for an extended period after he was injured in their season opener over the Tigers. McGinty has gone under the knife on his Achilles tendon on the same day that his half-back partner Harry Randall needed surgery on his hamstring. Randall will be back in the new year, while the return date for outside back Gabriel Itoye, who similarly damaged his thigh against Leicester and requires an operation, remains uncertain.

The Blue, Black and White, for their part, have kept Max Ojomoh at stand-off for their home game against Sale on the weekend's opener. Sale, who similarly had a successful opening to the term in the opening round, have made a pair of compulsory adjustments to their first team, with fresh personnel replacing the sidelined two key players respectively.