MATCH PREVIEW: HARLEQUINS V NEWCASTLE FALCONS

MATCH PREVIEW: HARLEQUINS V NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Harlequins' matchday 23 has been bolstered by the return of three Rugby World Cup players with England's Joe Marler and Marcus Smith named as Impact Players, alongside Welsh international and Quins debutant Dillon Lewis.

There's also a return for number eight Chandler Cunningham-South who makes his Premiership debut for Quins.

Argentina trio Mateo Carreras, Matias Moroni and Pedro Rubiolo are all thrust straight for Newcastle Falcons.

Countryman Eduardo Bello is on the bench for the 3pm kick-off at the Twickenham Stoop as he prepares to make his club debut, with the Falcons showing eight changes from the side which took a bonus point at home to Northampton last weekend.

Carreras starts on the left wing after shining on the world stage over the past two months, with fellow Pumas star Moroni returning at outside centre.


TV: Live on PRTV, 3pm kick-off

Referee: Jack Makepeace (20th game)


Assistant Referees: Harry Walbaum and John Meredith

TMO: Stuart Terheege

Harlequins XV: 1. Fin Baxter 2. Sam Riley 3. Will Collier 4. Joe Launchbury 5. George Hammond 6. Dino Lamb 7. Will Evans 8. Alex Dombrandt (Captain) 9. Will Porter 10. Jarrod Evans 11. Louis Lynagh 12. Lennox Anyanwu 13. Oscar Beard 14. Tyrone Green 15. Nick David 

Replacements: 16. Nathan Jibulu 17. Joe Marler 18. Dillon Lewis 19. Chandler Cunningham-South 20. James Chisholm 21. Max Green 22. Marcus Smith 23. Bryn Bradley

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Matias Orlando, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Rory Jennings, 9 Hugh O’Sullivan; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Bryan Byrne, 3 Mark Tampin, 4 Pedro Rubiolo, 5 Kiran McDonald, 6 Sam Cross, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Callum Chick (captain). 

Replacements: 16 Jamie Blamire, 17 Phil Brantingham, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 John Hawkins, 20 Josh Bainbridge, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Brett Connon, 23 George Wacokecoke.

Insight

Harlequins

  • Nick David made more carries (17) and metres (108) than any other player in Round 3. So far this season he has fielded the second-most defensive catches (24), successfully catching 100% of those when he was under pressure.
  • Alex Dombrandt, Will Porter, and George Hammond all made two offloads against Bristol Bears; no player made more last weekend.
  • A league-high 30.1% of Harlequins’ possessions this season have ended with a kick in play.
  • Harlequins are one of just two teams in the Premiership yet to lose an attacking scrum.

Newcastle Falcons

  • The Falcons have made more maul metres than any other team (85) and scored the jointmost maul tries (two). However, they have the poorest rate of attacking scrum (76.2%) and lineout success (79.6%) in the league.
  • Adam Radwan has made as many clean breaks as any other player this season (five).
  • Newcastle Falcons have the poorest rate of tackle success in the league (76.7%) despite making the second-fewest tackle attempts per 80 minutes (120).
  • The Falcons have made an average of 19.3 dominant collisions per 80 minutes this season – fewer than any other team.

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