Falcons Team for Irish

Tom - 100 up

By Mark Smith
November 18 2004

Whilst the offy site is being upgraded, we're delighted to help the club out as a mouthpiece. Falcons Media Manager Mark Smith takes us through the team news for Sunday's game.

Falcons Name Team To Face London Irish

Newcastle Falcons have made three changes to their side to face London Irish on Sunday at the Madejski Stadium (3pm), while centre Mark Mayerhofler returns on the bench after eight games out with a fractured fibula.

Right wing Tom May makes his 100^th Zurich Premiership appearance for the club, in a side which sees Mathew Tait replace Michael Stephenson on the left wing and Hall Charlton come in for James Grindal at scrum half.

In the pack, American Luke Gross returns to the side after serving his four-week suspension for the red card picked up at Newport, with the ban ending on Saturday afternoon, just in time for him to take his place in the team for Sunday’s encounter.

Gross’s return means that Andy Buist drops down to the bench after starting his first game of the season, while Joe Shaw, after his comeback last weekend against Leeds, misses out due to a slight reoccurrence of his ankle ligament injury.

Hooker Matt Thompson continues to be sidelined with a neck problem, while Colin Charvis and Stuart Grimes are away on international duty with Wales and Scotland respectively.

Newcastle Falcons team to face London Irish:

15 Matthew Burke

14 Tom May

13 Jamie Noon

12 Epi Taione

11 Mathew Tait

10 Dave Walder

9 Hall Charlton

1 Ian Peel (captain)

2 Andy Long

3 Micky Ward

4 Luke Gross