Kay gains chance to catch Robinson's eye

Ben Kay, semi-forgotten as a World Cup-winning lock since finding himself out of favour with the England coaching hierarchy following a flaccid 2004 Six Nations Championship campaign, will have an opportunity to remind Andy Robinson and company of his considerable gifts when Leicester and Wasps resume their Heineken Cup rivalry at Welford Road on Sunday. Kay has been recalled to the Midlanders' starting formation in preference to Louis Deacon, who drops to the bench - the only change to the side that won last weekend's marvellous opening skirmish at High Wycombe.

Ben Kay, semi-forgotten as a World Cup-winning lock since finding himself out of favour with the England coaching hierarchy following a flaccid 2004 Six Nations Championship campaign, will have an opportunity to remind Andy Robinson and company of his considerable gifts when Leicester and Wasps resume their Heineken Cup rivalry at Welford Road on Sunday. Kay has been recalled to the Midlanders' starting formation in preference to Louis Deacon, who drops to the bench - the only change to the side that won last weekend's marvellous opening skirmish at High Wycombe.

John Wells, the Leicester coach, stressed yesterday that Deacon, almost five years Kay's junior and a grafter of the Martin Johnson breed, had done nothing wrong at Wasps. "It's largely a question of fresh legs," he said, adding that the first match between the former and reigning European champions had been so ridiculously physical. "If every game was like that, we would have a 10-week season," he said.

Another of England's band of brothers on World Cup final night, some character by the name of Jonny Wilkinson, is also back in circulation, although the celebrated outside-half will not start Newcastle's important Pool Five match with Edinburgh at Murrayfield tomorrow evening. Apparently restored to full fitness after spending several weeks trying to rid himself of some deep bruising to his upper arm, Wilkinson has been named among the replacements, and is likely to take over the pivot position from David Walder at some point during proceedings in the Scottish capital.