ENGLAND prop David Wilson expects to face a "hurting" Leicester team when Bath tackle the Tigers at Welford Road tomorrow.

It is just over three months since Bath inflicted a 45-0 drubbing on Leicester - their record victory in the fixture - and another win this weekend would complete a first season's league double over the Tigers since 2004.

But while Bath are on a five-game unbeaten Aviva Premiership run and they will remain second in the table behind leaders Northampton whatever happens on Sunday, a Leicester triumph could lift them into the title play-off zone.

"When you face Leicester at home, they are always going to be a different proposition," said Wilson, who lines up in a Bath side that also features rugby league recruit Sam Burgess making his first Premiership start, appearing at outside centre.

"They've got a lot of players back, and the whole team will be hurting.

"I am sure the 45-0 defeat will be on their minds. That was not the Leicester anyone knows, and to beat them by that big a margin was a surprise for everyone, as much as a brilliant win for us.

"But they're getting together their power game through the pack, and they have got momentum now."

For their part, Leicester recovered from successive European and domestic losses to Toulon and Northampton by staging a thrilling fightback to pip Sale Sharks 32-30 last time out after being 15 points adrift.

"We had lost two games leading into the Sale game, so it could have been easy for us to throw in the towel and accept defeat. To win in that manner was massive for us," Tigers number eight Jordan Crane said.

"It is going to be a tough one for us on Sunday.

"There is a bit of a bad taste in our mouths, but it is just another Premiership game. We have not really spoken about the revenge aspect.

"We owe them one, if you like, but we can't be as naive as we were down there. We probably need the points more than them at the moment."

Leicester welcome back Blaine Scully, Anthony Allen and Graham Kitchener from injury, while Burgess forges Bath's midfield partnership with Kyle Eastmond, and four changes up front see starts for Wilson, his fellow prop Paul James, lock Dave Attwood and number eight Carl Fearns.