Match Preview: Newcastle Falcons v Exeter Chiefs
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Louie Johnson makes his first Gallagher Premiership Rugby start for Newcastle Falcons on Sunday when they host Exeter Chiefs at Kingston Park (kick-off 3pm).
The 20-year-old Cumbrian has played nine games for the club and made his top-flight debut from the bench last Friday when the Falcons claimed a four-try bonus point at league leaders, Sale Sharks.
Johnson starts at fly-half in a side showing seven changes from the one which started in Salford, with Argentina trio Eduardo Bello, Pedro Rubiolo and Matias Moroni all returning to the team.
With no changes to the starting XV, Exeter Chiefs makes all of the rotations for the weekend on his bench.
Growing with confidence, Joe Hawkins retains his place in the line-up alongside Henry Slade having been praised by Baxter earlier in the week – alongside fellow Welshman Dafydd Jenkins – for his maturity and development on the rugby field.
TV: Live on TNT Sports, 3pm kick-off
Referee: Christophe Ridley (66th game)
Assistant Referees: Jack Makepeace & Jon Healy
TMO: Dean Richards
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Tommy Wyatt, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Ben Hammersley, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Tom Cairns; 1 Scott Sio, 2 Jack Yeandle, 3 Ehren Painter, 4 Rusi Tuima, 5 Dafydd Jenkins (c), 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 7 Ethan Roots, 8 Aidon Davis
Replacements: 16 Max Norey, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 19 Lewis Pearson, 20 Ross Vintcent, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Tom Hendrickson
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Tom Penny, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Cameron Hutchison, 11 Iwan Stephens, 10 Louie Johnson, 9 James Elliott; 1 Phil Brantingham, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 John Hawkins, 5 Kiran McDonald, 6 Pedro Rubiolo, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Callum Chick (captain).
Replacements: 16 Bryan Byrne, 17 Adam Brocklebank, 18 Murray McCallum, 19 Philip van der Walt, 20 Sam Cross, 21 Hugh O’Sullivan, 22 Rory Jennings, 23 Louis Brown.
Oval Insights
Newcastle Falcons
- The Falcons have the poorest rate of gainline success in the Premiership (30.7%).
- Newcastle Falcons have successfully made 76.9% of their tackles – the lowest success rate in the league. They also have the lowest rate of tackle dominance (2.3%).
- Adam Radwan has made six clean breaks and beaten 18 defenders so far this season.
- The Falcons have beaten the fewest defenders (14) and made the fewest offloads (5.5) per 80 minutes in the Premiership.
Exeter Chiefs
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Joe Hawkins made 33 metres in contact last weekend. No player has made more in a match playing at centre this season.
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After Round 6, Henry Slade has reasserted himself as the Premiership’s top-points scorer (51). His goalkicking success rate is 70% so far this season.
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Tom Wyatt has made more carries (83), carry metres (506), and post-contact metres (99) than any other player so far this season. He and teammate Jacques Vermuelen have made the joint-most dominant carries (21).
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Exeter Chiefs have the best rate of gainline success in the league (44.2%) and have averaged more postcontact metres per carry than any other team (1.1).
