Team Announcements: Newcastle Falcons Vs Gloucester Rugby

March 23, 2023
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Ultimate Rugby

Lock-forward Greg Peterson returns for Newcastle Falcons on Friday night as they host Gloucester in Gallagher Premiership action.

The USA international is back in the starting line-up after serving a two-game ban for the red card he received against Saracens last month – a match in which the Falcons picked up a losing bonus point despite playing a man down for more than hour away against the league leaders.

Peterson’s return sees Argentina international Pedro Rubiolo switch to the back row, with scrum-half Michael Young captaining the side on his 199^th appearance for the Falcons.

On the bench there could be a Gallagher Premiership debut for fly-half Josh Thomas, with the Welshman making seven appearances in cup action for the club after arriving from Ospreys last summer.

Newcastle Falcons team v Gloucester (Friday, 7.45pm, Kingston Park, live on BT Sport)

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Matias Orlando, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Michael Young (captain); 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Richard Palframan, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 6 Pedro Rubiolo, 7 Callum Chick, 8 Carl Fearns.

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Logovi’i Mulipola, 18 Mark Tampin, 19 Freddie Lockwood, 20 Tom Marshall, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Josh Thomas, 23 Ben Stevenson.

Not available for selection: Connor Collett, Luke Coulston, Gary Graham, Ewan Greenlaw, Zach Kerr, Charlie Maddison, Tom Penny, Guy Pepper, Vereimi Qorowale, Sean Robinson, Oliver Spencer, Iwan Stephens, Philip van der Walt, George Wacokecoke, Will Welch.

For Gloucester, George Skivington has been boosted by the return of his international contingent, as the Cherry & Whites look to bounce back from defeat to Leicester Tigers last time out.

Wales' Louis Rees-Zammit returns to the side after featuring for Wales in the last three rounds of the Guinness Six Nations.

Rees-Zammit joins Ollie Thorley, who penned a fresh deal at Kingsholm last week, and Lloyd Evans in the back three.

Former Falcon, Chris Harris, partners Seb Atkinson in midfield.

Stephen Varney has also been on international duty, he played all-bar-one of Italy's Six Nations fixtures. He starts inside Santi Carreras in the half-backs.

There is just one singular change in the pack from the fixture against Leicester two weeks ago.

Harry Elrington replaces Val Rapava-Ruskin at loosehead, joining Seb Blake and Kirill Gotovtsev in the front row, with Freddie Clarke and Matias Alemanno slotting in behind them in the second row.

Argentinan international prop, Mayco Vivas, is set for his Cherry & Whites debut from the bench.

Starting XV

15. Lloyd Evans*

14. Louis Rees-Zammit*

13. Chris Harris

12. Seb Atkinson

11. Ollie Thorley*

10. Santi Carreras

9. Stephen Varney*

1. Harry Elrington

2. Seb Blake*

3. Kirill Gotovtsev