Premiership
Team news: Carreras back to face Irish
Friday 3 March 2023
The Gallagher Premiership’s top try-scorer, Mateo Carreras, returns for Newcastle Falcons on Sunday when they host London Irish.
The 3pm kick-off at Kingston Park Stadium sees the return of the Tucuman try machine, who has averaged a touchdown every game in his 11 league appearances this season.
Carreras is joined by countryman Pedro Rubiolo as the 20-year-old Puma makes his Premiership debut on the blind-side flank – Newcastle looking for a repeat of their last home game in the league when they recorded a bonus-point victory over champions Leicester Tigers.
Philip van der Walt and Gary Graham are both absent due to injury in the back row having helped the Falcons take a losing bonus point away to Premiership leaders Saracens last weekend, while Matthew Dalton makes his third league start of the season in place of suspended USA international Greg Peterson.
Adam Brocklebank returns at loose-head prop – Brett Connon continuing in the fly-half berth after kicking five from five last time out.
Falcons head coach Dave Walder said: “We need to start better than we did last weekend at Saracens, although I was immensely proud of the character shown by the boys in coming back to get a bonus point despite playing a man down for more than an hour at the league leaders.
“We have to look at why we put ourselves in that position in the first place and make sure we’re on it from the very start, which is incredibly important against a quality side like London Irish.
“We can’t wait until we’re backed into a corner to come out fighting – we need to be on the front foot and there will be a huge focus on that.”
Hopeful of playing in front of their biggest crowd of the season, Walder said: “That’s massively important because our supporters give us such a lift.
“We saw in our last Premiership home game against Leicester Tigers what we can do when we start big and the crowd get into it, and it will be great on Sunday to have so many junior players here for our community festival.
“My son is here playing as part of that so I know how much excitement it brings, and having the involvement of so many local rugby clubs is crucial for the Falcons moving forward.
“We want to play in a manner which makes those guys proud, that they enjoy watching and crucially which gives us the win. It’s built around predominantly local players with a bit of stardust sprinkled from outside, and if we can get that right then I think we’re in a good place.”
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Newcastle Falcons team v London Irish (Sunday, 3pm, Kingston Park)
15 Alex Tait, 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 Trevor Davison, 4 Matthew Dalton, 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 Tian Schoeman, 23 Pete Lucock.
Not available for selection: Phil Brantingham, Sam Clark, Connor Collett, Gary Graham, Ewan Greenlaw, Nathan Greenwood, Zach Kerr, Charlie Maddison, Tom Penny, Guy Pepper, Josh Peters, Greg Peterson, Vereimi Qorowale, Sean Robinson, Oliver Spencer, Philip van der Walt, George Wacokecoke, Will Welch.
London Irish: 15 Ben Loader, 14 Lucio Cinti, 13 Will Joseph, 12 Benhard van Rensburg, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Ben White; 1 Danilo Fischetti, 2 Agustin Creevy, 3 Oliver Hoskins, 4 Api Ratuniyarawa, 5 Rob Simmons (captain), 6 Josh Basham, 7 Tom Pearson, 8 Chandler Cunningham-South.
Replacements: 16 Matt Cornish, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 Josh Caulfield, 20 Matt Rogerson, 21 Hugh O’Sullivan, 22 Luca Morisi, 23 James Stokes.
Referee: Christophe Ridley.
Premiership
INJURY UPDATE | George Ford
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
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Premiership
TEAM NEWS | Sale Sharks v Gloucester
Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Premiership
TEAM NEWS | Sale Sharks v Saracens
Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
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