Newcastle v Cardiff: Teams
Last season¿s runners-up Newcastle have rung the changes for their first LV= Cup clash of the season against Cardiff.
Last Updated: 14/10/11 2:15pm
Last season's runners-up Newcastle have rung the changes for their first LV= Cup clash of the season against Cardiff at Kingston Park.
The Falcons have been boosted by the return of Scotland international Euan Murray, who starts in the front row alongside fellow prop Darren Fearn and hooker Michael Mayhew.
Elsewhere in the pack, Andrew van der Heijden slots into the second row while Mark Wilson is brought in at flanker.
Jeremy Manning is set to return from a long lay-off to take a place in the centres while fellow New Zealander Jimmy Gopperth will start at fly-half.
Rikki Sheriffe and Luke Eves get a chance on the wings while scrum-half Jordi Pasqualin, an LV= Cup winner with Gloucester last season, is also handed a start.
Cardiff have selected a completely changed starting XV, with coaches Gareth Baber and Justin Burnell opting to field a youthful side.
Paul Tito is left out so his replacement at lock, James Downes, takes over the captaincy duties.
"I think it's important that some of the players that haven't featured in the first five or six games are given the opportunity to push for the main squad," Baber said of the selections.
"This is certainly what these two (LV= Cup) games are about."
"We are ambitious as a group and we want to make sure that we are pushing everybody all the time, and this is the next phase of pushing on."
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Greg Goosen, 14 Rikki Sheriffe, 13 Corne Uys, 12 Jeremy Manning , 11 Luke Eves, 10 Jimmy Gopperth (c), 9 Jordi Pasqualin, 8 Ally Hogg, 7 Redford Pennycook, 6 Mark Wilson, 5 Andrew van der Heijden, 4 Glen Townson, 3 Darren Fearn, 2 Michael Mayhew, 1 Euan Murray
Replacements: 16 Joe Graham, 17 Ashley Wells, 18 James Hall, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Will Welch, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Jamie Helleur, 23 Alex Hodgson.
Cardiff Blues: 15 Dan Fish, 14 Richard Mustoe, 13 Owen Williams, 12 Cory Allen, 11 Adam Thomas, 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Rhys Downes, 8 Luke Hamilton, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Ellis Jenkins, 5 James Downes (c), 4 Cory Hill, 3 Ryan Harford, 2.Ryan Tyrrell, 1 Nathan Trevett
Replacements: 16 Rhys Williams, 17 Jamie Corsi, 18 Thomas Davies, 19 Matthew Screech, 20 Rhys Shellard, 21 Lewis Jones, 22 Lewis Williams, 23 Richard Smith.
