Leeds Carnegie v Saracens: Titterrell steps in as Leeds look to avenge 'injustice'

ANDY TITTERRELL makes his long-awaited debut against Saracens tonight for a Leeds Carnegie side with revenge on their mind.

The former British and Irish Lions hooker joined the club on a three-month deal in November but makes his first start in an

LV Cup match which is given much-needed spice by the recent history between the sides.

Leeds pushed the then-unbeaten leaders to the brink at Vicarage Road in October only to lose 21-15 but emerged with a very creditable losing bonus point.

However, it was the ruling out of a Leeds 'try' late in the first half which enraged the travelling Yorkshire side.

With the game delicately poised, Leigh Hinton kicked the ball ahead into Saracens territory and Richard Welding burst onto it, putting a further boot behind the ball and forcing it into the goal area.

Hendre Fourie rushed ahead and dropped on the ball, quickly followed by a Saracens player and the supporting Kearnan Myall.

Referee David Rose, though, adjudged it was the home player who touched the ball first and awarded a Saracens restart on their 22 instead of a Leeds try.

To add insult to injury, Saracens went straight up the other end to score – and then two days later Rose rang Neil Back and Andy Key to apologise for making the wrong decision.

Although Back this week insisted there are no points to prove tonight, the injustice still clearly rankles.

"We should have won that game, we had a 'try' disallowed at the end of the first half and ultimately lost by six points," said the World Cup winner.

"They were a bit miffed that we felt we should have won. They still argue the decision was right but we got an apology from the man in the middle who said it should have been a try.

"You can only speculate what could have happened in that game. It wasn't given and sometimes that happens.

"Tonight is not about proving a point to anyone else other than the people in this environment."

There will be many doubters to be silenced following Sunday's error-strewn defeat against Bourgoin which cost Leeds a place in the quarter-final of the Amlin European Challenge Cup.

Progression in the Anglo-Welsh Cup may not be the priority and after one win and a loss so far it may prove beyond them, even if they win tonight and again at Ospreys next Thursday.

Putting the Bourgoin defeat behind them and picking up momentum ahead of the return to Premiership action on February 14 against Leicester is the aim.

With that in mind, Leeds have rested many of their big hitters which has opened the door for the likes of Henry Fa'afili and

Titterrell to feature.

Titterrell, 29, was taking a break from the game after his summer release from Gloucester when he signed for Leeds on a temporary deal.

He was not registered in time to play in Europe and has managed only one A-league game for Leeds so far.

"Andy was outstanding in that game," said Back. "But after one performance it's very different to justify selection for a Premiership game.

"He knows that, he understands that, and his mentality has been positive."

Summer signing Fa'afili returns in the centres and Joe Ford starts at fly-half.

Joe Bedford makes his first start of the season after recovering from a broken leg.

Lock Jonathan Pendlebury captains the side in the absence of Marco Wentzel as Leeds look to put the Bourgoin performance firmly behind them.

"We didn't play as well as we could, we know that, but it's gone now," said Back.

"We've got to concentrate on our next game. The guys have been tremendously positive this week, they're confident and full of belief. We've given them a bit of freedom as to how we're going to play this game and hopefully they'll take advantage of that and we'll put ourselves on a more positive footing.

"Our main objective is no secret from anyone inside or outside the organisation – it's survival in the Premiership.

"The LV competition is a means to giving people game time and building momentum and belief and that's what we are utilising it for."