Newcastle v Exeter: Teams
Newcastle boss Alan Tait has made three changes for Saturday's crunch clash with Exeter Chiefs.
Last Updated: 06/01/12 5:06pm
Newcastle boss Alan Tait has made three changes of personnel to his line-up for Saturday's crunch Aviva Premiership clash with Exeter Chiefs at Kingston Park
Luke Fielden, Tim Swinson and Taiasina Tu'ifua come in for the league's bottom team, with Luke Eves, the injured James Hudson and Ally Hogg missing out.
Fielden's inclusion means Suka Hufanga slots into the centres alongside James Fitzpatrick, while Richard Mayhew moves to No.8 to accommodate Tu'ifua on the flank.
"Exeter are a very difficult team to break down and they will never give in," said Tait.
"They are a stuffy side and last year they got a stranglehold of us when they came up here. It was always going to be decided by the slightest of margins and that proved to be the case.
"Hopefully we can turn up on Saturday and match them physically but I also want us to play the style of rugby that I know that we are capable of.
"I want us to be looking for the line-breaks and putting players into spaces. Our players know that it is going to be a battle but we still want to create chances and move them around."
Exeter Chiefs welcome back Hoani Tui and Tom Johnson for the long trip to the north-east.
Tui is preferred to John Andress in the front row, while Johnson starts in the back row ahead of James Phillips. Both Andress and Phillips drop to the bench.
"It is always a massive ask up there, but equally it is one we achieved last year and one we are capable of winning," said Exeter assistant coach Ali Hepher.
"Without a shadow of a doubt we're expecting them to come out strong. I've played up there many a time in the past and it's a tough place to go.
"They come at you straight away and it will be no different this week. They may see it as a must-win game for them, but it's a must-win for us in a certain sense because we have just got to keep winning in Premiership."
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Greg Goosen, 14 Luke Fielden, 13 Suka Hufanga, 12 James Fitzpatrick, 11 Jeremy Manning, 10 Jimmy Gopperth (c), 9 Jordi Pasqualin, 8 Richard Mayhew 7 Will Welch, 6 Taiasina Tu'ifua, 5 Tim Swinson, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Rob Vickers, 1 Grant Shiells.
Replacements: 16 Michael Mayhew, 17 Ashley Wells, 18 James Hall, 19 Mark Wilson, 20 Ally Hogg, 21 Chris Pilgrim, 22 Tom Catterick, 23 Corne Uys
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Luke Arscott, 14 Gonzalo Camacho, 13 Nic Sestaret, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Matt Jess, 10 Ignacio Mieres, 9 Haydn Thomas, 8 Richard Baxter, 7 James Scaysbrook, 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Aly Muldowney, 4 Tom Hayes (c), 3 Hoani Tui, 2 Neil Clark, 1 Brett Sturgess.
Replacements: 16 Simon Alcott, 17 John Andress, 18 Craig Mitchell, 19 Chris Bentley, 20 James Phillips, 21 Kevin Barrett, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Josh Tatupu.