150 Not Out For Brocklebank
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150 Not Out For Brocklebank
Adam Brocklebank plays his 150th game for Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday when they host Leicester Tigers in Gallagher PREM action.
The 30-year-old prop is the longest-serving player in the current squad and lines up for what is also his 99th top-flight appearance, forming part of a team which sees a debut for Tom Christie.
The open-side recently captained Canterbury to New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship title, with the three-time Super Rugby winner forming a back-row trio alongside Japanese international Amanaki Mafi and homegrown Freddie Lockwood.
George McGuigan captains the side from hooker against one of his former clubs, with Wales and Lions international Liam Williams returning for the 7.45pm kick-off.
Head coach Alan Dickens said: “This is a big night for us, and it will be great for Brockers to lead out the team on the occasion of his 150th game.
“It’s exciting to be returning back to the league after a month of cup games, and we’re also excited to see Tom Christie out there making his debut.
“He has been here for a few weeks now so we’ve seen first-hand what a positive influence he is, and we’re looking forward to seeing his impact on the team. He’s got a wealth of knowledge and experience, and he’s been great around our environment.”
Looking to kickstart his side’s Gallagher PREM season, Dickens said: “We’ve shown plenty of positives in our two home games against Northampton and Saracens in the league, and we’re looking to bring it all together now over that 80-minute performance.
“Leicester invariably provide a physical challenge which we know we’ll need to meet, and our home crowd will be massive for us.
“They’ve turned out in numbers this season, for which we are hugely appreciative, and we want to reward those guys for the incredible backing they’ve given us.”
Newcastle Red Bulls v Leicester Tigers (Friday, 7.45pm, Kingston Park, live on TNT Sports)
15 Ethan Grayson, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Max Clark, 11 Oli Spencer, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 George McGuigan (captain), 3 Murray McCallum, 4 Oscar Usher, 5 Jamie Hodgson, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Amanaki Mafi.
Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Micky Rewcastle, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Sebastian de Chaves, 20 Cameron Neild, 21 Simón Benítez Cruz, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Tom Gordon.
Not available for selection: Sammy Arnold, Rhys Beeckmans, Eduardo Bello, Freddie Clarke, Joe Davis, Luan de Bruin, Connor Doherty, Hame Faiva, Joel Grayson, Callum Hancock, John Hawkins, Elvis Kitenge-Fuki, Fergus Lee-Warner, Elliott Obatoyinbo, Christian Wade.
Referee: Sara Cox.
