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Exeter Chiefs:

15 Josh Hodge

14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

13 Olly Woodburn

12 Joe Hawkins

11 Paul Brown-Bampoe

10 Harvey Skinner

9 Sam Maunder


1 Scott Sio

2 Jack Yeandle (c)

3 Marcus Street

4 Rusi Tuima

5 Franco Molina

6 Ethan Roots

7 Richard Capstick

8 Ross Vintcent


Replacements:

16 Jack Innard

17 Kwenzo Blose

18 Josh Iosefa-Scott

19 Christ Tshiunza

20 Greg Fisilau

21 Tom Cairns

22 Will Haydon-Wood

23 Ben Hammersley

Newcastle Falcons:

15 Ben Redshaw,
14 Adam Radwan,
13 Connor Doherty,
12 Sammy Arnold,
11 Ben Stevenson,
10 Ethan Grayson,
9 Sam Stuart;
1 Adam Brocklebank,
2 Jamie Blamire,
3 Richard Palframan,
4 Pedro Rubiolo,
5 John Hawkins,
6 Philip van der Walt,
7 Tom Gordon,
8 Callum Chick (captain).

Replacements:
16 Ollie Fletcher,
17 Luan de Bruin,
18 Murray McCallum,
19 Freddie Lockwood,
20 Adam Scott,
21 Joe Davis,
22 Alex Hearle,
23 Cameron Hutchison.

Match Officials

Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant Referees: Adam Leal and Jamie Leahy
TMO: Dean Richards

Weather Forecast as at 1200 Thursday

Light cloud and a moderate breeze from the south
Temperature 13 degrees but will feel like 12 degrees
Precipitation is not expected

TV Coverage
Channel 450 TNT Sports 5 SD 1930-2145
Channel 458 TNT Sports 5HD 1930-2145

Two sides seeking a first win of the season meet at Kingston Park on Friday night as Newcastle Falcons welcome Exeter Chiefs.

The hosts went down 43-10 against Sale Sharks in the Derby Weekend curtain-raiser and are looking for a first home win in any competition for 12 months.

Chiefs have not been happy travellers in 2024, a year which has seen them win just once on the road, with Rob Baxter's side hoping to bounce back after letting a healthy lead slip at home to Bristol Bears in Round 4.

Falcons summer signing Sammy Arnold returns for the home side alongside midfield partner Connor Doherty, while Ben Redshaw comes in at full-back.

Alex Hearle is set to make his debut for the club, with the former Gloucester Rugby man named on the bench.

The visitors have made just one change to last weekend's starting XV and it comes in the back row, where Ethan Roots replaces Jacques Vermeulen.

Paul Brown-Bampoe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who both scored twice against Bears, start on the wing and form an exciting back three alongside Josh Hodge.

No Vermeulen...😬

It's such a tough one to call: my heart says Exeter, but my head says Falcons. 1945 at KP on a Friday night is not an ideal time and place to secure a win.

I think the difference will be experience in key areas and a sprinkling of magic from our wingers to boot.

Falcons 15 - 25 Chiefs.

Why no Jacques? Surely not injured again.

If we lose we’ll be adrift at the bottom of the table but we have some quality players, more so than Falcons, but Steve Diamond will have been breathing fire and brimstone into his team, so they are likely to put up their best fight of the season so far. If we can start well and pull away then hopefully we’ll win. But not convinced.

Chiefs 18 Falcons 15

Quote:

Not Manichean
No Vermeulen...😬

Heard from a very reliable source a couple of weeks ago that Jacque hates the plastic pitches and doesn't play on them for similar reasons that Nowellsy didn't.

Hopefully this is the game that kick starts our season Falcons 10 - 31 Chiefs.

Frosty paid the price for his petulance?

Feeling like this is the time to put an 80 min performance together, with no sill penalties and no giving the ball away in the last 5 minures, as the scrum halves have been so keen to do thus far. Newcastle 14 Exeter 21

Has to this one
Falcons 15 - 29 Chiefs. COYC

Hey Stan, you're not very good at keeping secrets!

Falcons 15 Chiefs 33

Falcons 19, Chiefs 26

Quote:

Currychef
Hey Stan, you're not very good at keeping secrets!

Looks like someone saw my post on the Falcons forum. Guilty as charged! 😂



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:10:17:15:26:39 by StanWilks.

Falcons are struggling to field a fly half due to injuries. Even without Jacques we have a strong back row and Fisilau on the bench. Despite the disappointing start to the season, and with no disrespect to the Falcons, I think we have a more experienced 23 and should win. Falcons 12 Chiefs 34.

A must win if we're to established any credibility this season.
Falcons 12 Chiefs 32

In Rob we trust.
By the way - cream on first. There's nothing to debate.

The first half I think will be crucial to the end result , we have been dreadful away from home for over a year and often out of the game by half time. We need to be quick out of the blocks and play fast attacking front foot rugby as if we resort to the kick chase tactics as we did at Sarries I think we will be well beaten.
I pray we do not pick up any injuries in the back line early doors as our bench players offer nothing, especially defensive wise imo. I would have started Frost, Cairns and Christ and had Rigg on the bench but clearly they are not in favour (dropping Frost for his silly card imo weakens the team big time - yes it was wrong and so are deliberate knock ons - poor head high tackles but are those players dropped ?).
I really hope we can play without stupid individual errors and yes Vermullen will be a big loss. We are so vulnerable defensively I cannot see Newcastle not scoring numerous tries either out wide or catch and drive so for me Newcastle 27 Chiefs 31 fingers and everything else crossed.

Falcons 14 - 31 Chiefs I hope!

Quote:

Andy15.1
The first half I think will be crucial to the end result , we have been dreadful away from home for over a year and often out of the game by half time. We need to be quick out of the blocks and play fast attacking front foot rugby as if we resort to the kick chase tactics as we did at Sarries I think we will be well beaten.
I pray we do not pick up any injuries in the back line early doors as our bench players offer nothing, especially defensive wise imo. I would have started Frost, Cairns and Christ and had Rigg on the bench but clearly they are not in favour (dropping Frost for his silly card imo weakens the team big time - yes it was wrong and so are deliberate knock ons - poor head high tackles but are those players dropped ?).
I really hope we can play without stupid individual errors and yes Vermullen will be a big loss. We are so vulnerable defensively I cannot see Newcastle not scoring numerous tries either out wide or catch and drive so for me Newcastle 27 Chiefs 31 fingers and everything else crossed.

I think you could argue that where Falcons are better than the Chiefs is in their pick and goos from five metres out. Chick has scored quite a few this season.

Newcastle 15 Chiefs 29

Just seen on Chiefs' Twitter that the lads are travelling up a day before via coach. VERY good idea.

Newcastle 20 Chiefs 30

Falcons 16 Chiefs 26

Quote:

Lapo
Feeling like this is the time to put an 80 min performance together, with no sill penalties and no giving the ball away in the last 5 minures, as the scrum halves have been so keen to do thus far. Newcastle 14 Exeter 21

having watched the last game back, it seemed we had a bit more control with Maunder, Cairns got us playing at 100 mph but with a yellow card and a lead we needed to kill the momentum of the game

Our season starts tomorrow (I hope) so:
Newcastle 16 - 34 Exeter

Not very confident. We should win comfortably but will we give away lots of pens or be under too much pressure after the first four games to put a performance together. Newcastle 26 Chiefs 32.

For me, the most critical thing we need against Newcastle is, CONTROL.
The two most important factors we had in our glory days were control and ball retention, that hasn't changed.
You don't need to be a genius to understand that if we have the ball, they can't score.
I do not agree that fast ball is always the answer, when we try and do that constantly, all that happens is that players get out of position and our play breaks down, usually resulting in a turnover or penalty. I would far rather the 9 did slow it down to allow the key players around him to be in position for the next phase of play.
Just hang on to the ball, go through the phases, keep the ball alive, don't continually take it into contact without support, and be patient.

Our penalty count for the last two games has been 6 and 5. If we can maintain that then it will give us openings.

Looks like they travelled up on a Dartline rather than the club coach - is that the norm for long journeys?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:10:18:09:12:14 by thestokecanon.

Presumably just gave them a lift to the airport.

Quote:

markismith50
Presumably just gave them a lift to the airport.

Correct, the Chiefs coach was spotted on the M1 Northbound yesterday morning, presumably en route to Newcastle Airport to meet them. It'd need F1 speeds to be able to drop them at Exeter and meet them from the flight t'other end!

Quote:

Lowerwatha
Falcons are struggling to field a fly half due to injuries...

Some might say we're struggling to field one without any injuries!

We've got to win at all costs. Bonus point would be nice but denying them one would be better. Don't think it's going to be pretty. Falcons 14 Chiefs 19



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:10:18:11:04:21 by ExeterFan.

Yenz starting Frost dropped. Good to see Innard back. JV being reintroduced slowly please.
I'm going Chiefs 27 Falcons 14. At least I m hopeful

Falcons 13 Chiefs 26

Here goes Newcastle 18- 26 Exeter but I could be wrong(again)

Not easy to predict plastic pitch,rainy night, Friday night, Newcastles only chance to snatch a victory, no vermuhlan, in my view Frosty should be on the bench as after a roasting he could have been a great asset. so its a tight game Newcastle to nick it by 6 points Newcastle 24 chiefs 18 and hope i slide down the table.

Although I have been critical of our performances this season, we are, in my opinion, a far better side than Falcons. We have been, apart from sarries away, competitive in our games and really should have been at least six points better off. Falcons points difference is minus 100, ours is minus 29. They don't score many points and concede lots.
Having said that they will undoubtedly target this game as one they could win. The fact it's on a horrible pitch in wet and cold conditions doesn't help us. If we can get a couple of early scores I imagine their heads will drop and we could win well. On the other hand a tight first half or early falcons score could give them belief and our heads could go down.

I think we'll have too much for them especially now we seemed to have recruited a top second row.

Falcons 12 Chiefs 24

Going to go against the flow here (to try and gain more points ha ha) Newcastle 27 Chiefs 18

Falcons 14 Chiefs 29

Just to cement my place at the bottom of the table.

Newcastle 23, Chiefs 39

It's still a relatively inexperienced side, especially off the bench.
I am relatively confident but it all depends on how we handle the momentum when it swings against us. We just haven't done that at all this season....
Fingers crossed that we get the leadership and performance we need tonight 🤞

Falcons 15 - 20 chiefs

Congratulations to keithbar54 who jumps to the top of the table with a maximum score of 7