Aviva Premiership preview: Newcastle Falcons aim for second win in the league against Gloucester
Newcastle Falcons will be hoping that they can kick start their Aviva Premiership season with a win against Gloucester at Kingston Park on Sunday 21 November.
Newcastle has made seven changes to the team that were defeated by Harlequins 28-20 in the LV= Cup on Sunday 14 November.
Newcastle coach Alan Tait has changed the entire front-row for the visit of Gloucester. Rob Vickers, Grant Shiells and Tim Ryan will be asked to front up to Gloucester’s physical pack.
Newcastle lock James Hudson is recalled in the second-row, Luke Fielden and Luke Eves come into the back-line for Newcastle.
Influential out-half, Jimmy Gopperth is also recalled and his inclusion should give the Newcastle team a boost ahead of the match.
Newcastle has been in poor form this season and they find themselves second from bottom, having only picked up six points and one win so far.
They did beat Welsh side the Ospreys 18-17 in the LV=Cup on Saturday 6 November, but followed that up with a loss to Harlequins in their second match of the tournament.
The Falcons were well beaten in their last Premiership match and lost away to Northampton 34-13 on 30 October.
Newcastle will be confident that they can turn over Gloucester on Sunday, who are without some key players.
Despite losing to Harlequins away, the team played well and they have also defeated the Ospreys recently.
This may give them the confidence they need to turn some unlucky defeats into wins.
Gloucester will keep 12 of the players that defeated Saracens 36-10 in their LV= Cup on Saturday 13 November.
Influential lock Dave Attwood is away on international duty with England and Scottish lock Jim Hamilton has been released by Scotland to play.
He will join Alex Brown in a new second row partnership. Brown replaces Peter Buxton.
Full-back Freddie Burns comes into the team for the talented Olly Morgan who will be missed by Gloucester.
Gloucester are currently third in the Aviva Premiership table and have impressed in the league in recent matches.
They defeated Leicester 19-12 in their last match in the league and apart from a blip in an 18-12 defeat to Welsh side the Dragons in the LV= Cup they have played well.
However, Gloucester’s assistant coach Carl Hogg admitted that the team would face a strong challenge from Newcastle regardless of their league position. Speaking to reporters Hogg said, "Sunday presents a huge opportunity for us but Newcastle is a tough
place to go, recent history tells us that. They've got a young side that's developing, but especially at home they place with a lot of passion and a lot of pride.”
Hogg also highlighted the threat posed by Jimmy Gopperth who will attempt to influence the game with his kicking from play. "Jimmy Gopperth is one of the top kickers in the Premiership and he manages the game for them so it's important we remain disciplined,"
said Hogg.
Newcastle must compete with Gloucester’s strong forward pack if they are to record their second win in the Premiership.
Prediction: Newcastle Falcons 12 Gloucester 19
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