ECC preview: Pool Four
The 'big guns' of the Pool go head to head this weekend, when Newcastle take on Brive on Thursday, while Parma – who surprisingly beat Brive in Italy last week, are away at Spanish champs Cetransa El Salvador.
The 'big guns' of the Pool go head to head this weekend, when Newcastle take on Brive on Thursday, while Parma – who surprisingly beat Brive in Italy last week, are away at Spanish champs Cetransa El Salvador.
Newcastle v Brive
Newcastle Falcons welcome back fit-again flanker Adam Balding for Thursday's European Challenge Cup trip to French club CA Brive Correze.
Balding returns after the head injury sustained against Gloucester two weeks ago, and joins a Falcons team also seeing winger John Rudd included.
Rudd takes the place of Danny Williams on the wing, with Williams sidelined by an ankle injury picked up in last Saturday's emphatic 63-0 victory over Spanish champions Cetransa El Salvador
Speaking ahead of the game, Newcastle director of rugby, Steve Bates, said: “We have travelled a day early to give ourselves the best possible preparation time for this game.
“Adam Balding and John Rudd both returning to the side will give us added physicality, as we hope to repeat the victory we had here last season in the same competition.”
Newcastle and Brive have been drawn in the same pool for an incredible four seasons in a row, with Bates stating: “What it does mean is there should be no surprises for us.
“We know we will be in for a tough game against a determined side in a vocal atmosphere, but in terms of the hotel, the training facilities and the town itself these are all things we are very familiar with from our past travels here.”
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Steve Jones, 14 Tim Visser, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Tom May, 11 John Rudd, 10 Rory Clegg, 9 Hall Charlton, 8 Phil Dowson (c), 7 Ed Williamson, 6 Adam Balding, 5 Mark Sorenson, 4 Andy Perry, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Andy Long, 1 Joe McDonnell.
Replacements: 16 Matt Thompson, 17 Micky Ward, 18 Tim Swinson, 19 Russell Winter, 20 James Grindal, 21 Ollie Phillips, 22 Tom Dillon.
Brive: 15 Alexis Palisson, 14 Norman Ligairi, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Fabrice Estebanez, 11 Ben Cohen, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Arnaud Pic, 8 Alix Popham, 7 Simon Azoulai (capt), 6 Antoine Claasen, 5 Damien Browne, 4 Christian Short, 3 Pierre Capdevielle, 2 Steve Thompson, 1 Davit Kinchagishvili.
Replacements: 16 Jean-Philippe Bonrepaux, 17 Pascal Idieder, 18 Johan van Zyl, 19 Vincent Forgues, 20 Jean-Baptiste Pejoine, 21 Luciano Orquera, 22 Horacio Agulla.
Date: Thursday, October 16
Venue: Kingston Park
Kick-off: 19.45 (18.45 GMT)
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Touch judges: Eanna O'Dowd (Ireland), Mark Hermin (Ireland)
Television match official: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Cetransa El Salvador v Overmach Parma
Cetransa: tbc
Overmach Parma: tbc
Date: Sunday, October 19
Venue: Campo de Pepe Rojo
Kick-off: 12.30 (10.30 GMT)
Referee: Graham Knox (Scotland)