Aviva Premiership preview: Newcastle v Wasps
Last season it was Newcastle’s home form which threatened to drag the club into the relegation mire.
But after a shaky start to the new season away from home, the need to start picking up points at Kingston Park will be even more imperative.
Following their 35-18 defeat against Sale Sharks last Friday night, Newcastle’s status as relegation candidates was effectively confirmed. Many pundits’ tip to enter a relegation dogfight with Exeter Chiefs come the end of the campaign, the Falcons produced an underwhelming performance at Edgeley Park and looked set for a long, arduous nine months.
Another Friday night kick-off sees Newcastle welcome London Wasps to the north-east this evening, and it’s the visitors who’ll fancy their chances of securing their first win of the season.
Wasps played out a tense and cagey 29-29 draw with Harlequins at Twickenham last weekend in front of a crowd of over 75,000. Fly-half Mark van Gisbergen was in scintillating form for Tony Hanks’ side, and will also prove a handful for Newcastle to contend with.
The Falcons opted to drop Jimmy Gopperth, last season’s top scorer in the Premiership, to the bench against Sale. But the No.10 will make the starting XV this evening. Head coach Alan Tait has decided to reshuffle his pack to accommodate the fly-half, in a move which will see summer-signing Jeremy Manning take Gopperth’s place among the substitutes.
Gopperth’s kicking prowess was sorely missed in the first half against Sale and he’ll be out to prove a point this evening.
However, Wasps won’t be overly concerned with the threat of Gopperth. The Londoners have enjoyed many triumphant days at Kingston Park in recent years - winning their last five visits to Newcastle’s home ground.
The two sides last met in May, and Wasps ran out 25-21 winners in Danny Cipriani and Paul Sackey’s final appearances for the club. But in the meeting before that, it was Newcastle who took the share of the spoils with a 12-6 victory at Adams Park.
England Saxons scrum-half Micky Young will also start for the Falcons against Wasps, as will Redford Pennycook and Luke Fielden.
Meanwhile, Wasps Director of Rugby Tony Hanks has made five changes from the side which drew against Quins last weekend. Zak Taulafo comes in for the injured Phil Vickery, James Cannon makes his debut, while Dan Ward-Smith replaces Joe Worsley. And in the back-line, Dave Walder will start at No. 10, as Riki Flutey comes in at centre.
Unless Newcastle manage to find their rhythm in the opening stages of tonight’s match, it could be a difficult evening for Alan Tait’s men.
Prediction: Wasps to edge out plucky Newcastle
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