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TEAM NEWS: NEWCASTLE SIDE TO FACE PERPIGNAN
Newcastle Red Bulls are aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to the EPCR Challenge Cup on Saturday when they host French side, Perpignan.
Victory in the 1pm kick-off at Kingston Park would secure qualification to the round of 16 with one game to spare, with the group campaign culminating away to Welsh side Dragons the following Friday.
Looking no further than this weekend’s challenge, however, the Red Bulls’ line-up sees Tim Cardall and Seb de Chaves coming into the second row, with Oscar Usher sliding from lock to blind-side flanker.
Ethan Grayson switches to fly-half, with Oli Spencer coming onto the wing in the only other personnel change from the side which secured a first league victory of the season last Friday at home to Gloucester.
Head coach Alan Dickens said: “It was really pleasing to get our first Gallagher PREM win as Newcastle Red Bulls, and I was delighted for the lads.
“We’ve now won three out of our last five in all competitions with beating Lyon and Lions in the Challenge Cup, and we got a four-try bonus point away to a good Bristol Bears side in the league, so it feels like it’s gradually starting to come together.
“The end of the Gloucester game was tinged with a bit of frustration because we made it more difficult than it needed to be, having been in control earlier on. We left a couple of tries out there but we at least showed some character to hold on and take the win, which gives us something to build on.
“Our line-out defence was excellent, and the level of detail Scott MacLeod has been bringing to that area has been really impressive. Those are the sorts of foundations you need to have in place, and it’s a collective effort from everyone.”
Dickens added: “We’ve moved on quickly and switched the focus to Perpignan on Saturday, because the Challenge Cup is a massive opportunity for us.
“It’s a chance to really push on after making a positive start to the competition, and with Perpignan at home and Dragons away we’ve got two tough games to get our teeth into.
“We want to be playing knockout rugby rather than having free weekends towards the end of the season, and ultimately you’re in professional sport to win silverware.
“Perpignan won’t make it easy and they battled back well to beat Toulouse last weekend, so we’re expecting a good contest. They’ve got a big pack of forwards and some athletes in the backs, and we’ll have to be on it to get the result.”
Newcastle Red Bulls v Perpignan (Saturday, 1pm, Kingston Park, live on Premier Sports)
15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Oli Spencer, 10 Ethan Grayson, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz; 1 Murray McCallum, 2 George McGuigan (captain), 3 Richard Palframan, 4 Tim Cardall, 5 Seb de Chaves, 6 Oscar Usher, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Tom Gordon.
Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Adam Brocklebank, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Finn Baker, 20 Cameron Neild, 21 James Elliott, 22 Cameron Hutchison, 23 Nathan Greenwood.
Unavailable for selection: Eduardo Bello, Boeta Chamberlain, Freddie Clarke, Brett Connon, Joe Davis, Connor Doherty, Hame Faiva, Joel Grayson, Callum Hancock, John Hawkins, Jamie Hodgson, Elvis Kitenge-Fuki, Ollie Leatherbarrow, Fergus Lee-Warner, Freddie Lockwood, Amanaki Mafi, Liam Williams.
Perpignan: 15 Lucas Dubois, 14 Jordan Petaia, 13 Job Poulet, 12 Duncan Paia'aua, 11 Maxim Granell, 10 Hugo Reus; 9 Tom Ecochard, 1 Bruce Devaux, 2 Victor Montgaillard, 3 Pietro Ceccarelli, 4 Peceli Yato, 5 Adrien Warion, 6 Bastien Chinarro, 7 Mahamadou Diaby, 8 Lucas Velarte (captain).
Replacements: 16 Mathys Lotrian, 17 Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo, 18 Nemo Roelofse, 19 Posolo Tuilagi, 20 Mathieu Tanguy, 21 Andro Dvali, 22 Gela Aprasidze, 23 Gabin Kretchmann.
Referee: Peter Martin (Ireland).
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