By Paul Rees

It will be a strange start to the campaign for Leicester Tigers with the names Dan Cole and Ben Youngs missing from the team line-up.

The pair of Lions, who both passed 100 caps for England, have been part of the furniture at Welford Road since the 2000s and their retirements mark the end of an era.
The Tigers were the leading side in England when they made their breakthroughs, and although they have made two of the last three Premiership finals, winning the first, Leicester are jockeying for position in a crowded field.
It is a healthier position than they found themselves in ...