Andy Goode will make his first Aviva Premiership start for Newcastle Falcons at Fly Half this weekend, as the team head to the Ricoh Arena to face Wasps at the half way stage of the league campaign.
Goode, who joined the Falcons on a three month contract over Christmas, showed every bit of his 231 matches worth of Premiership experience last weekend, as he combined with his team mates to engineer a memorable 26-19 win over Harlequins.
His promotion from the bench to the starting XV is the only change to the team that started at Kingston Park last Sunday, with the Falcons coaching team opting for a settled line up for the team’s first visit to Wasps new home.
This selection sees Michael Young continue outside of Goode in the scrum half shirt, while Adam Powell and Juan Pablo Socino provide the centre pairing.
Working alongside and complimenting these combinations is a back three of Alex Tait, Giamba Venditti and Simon Hammersley which provides an array of attacking options and defensive strength.
An unchanged forward pack sees internationals Scott Lawson, Taione Vea, Nili Latu and Ally Hogg continue alongside talents nurtured in the North East Rob Vickers, Mark Wilson, Sean Robinson and Will Welch.
On the bench, George McGuigan and Paddy Ryan continue as front row cover and are joined by Alex Rogers coming into the side in place of Eric Fry, who is away on Americas Rugby Championship duty with the USA.
In the only other change to the replacement line up, the number 23 shirt is taken over by Marcus Watson, who will be keen for further Premiership action after being a lively, try scoring presence in his last outing against London Irish in January.
Newcastle Falcons squad V Wasps – 6/2/2016 – KO 14:00
15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Alex Tait, 13 Adam Powell, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Michael Young, 1 Rob Vickers, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Taione Vea, 4 Mark Wilson, 5 Sean Robinson, 6 Will Welch (C), 7 Nili Latu, 8 Ally Hogg
Replacements
16 George McGuigan, 17 Alex Rogers, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Richard Mayhew, Sonatane Takulua, 22 Craig Willis, 23 Marcus Watson