Newcastle Falcons have made five changes to their starting fifteen ahead of this weekend’s Aviva Premiership game against Worcester, with three new faces in the backline and two in the pack.
Freshly returned from Rugby World Cup duties with Argentina, Juan Pablo Socino makes a first start of the season for the club at inside centre, taking over from Adam Powell who continues to recover from a strain picked up last Sunday.
Joining Socino in the centres, Chris Harris returns from the minor soft tissue injury that ruled him out of last week’s home game to outside centre, taking over from Tom Penny.
With Simon Hammersley still nursing the knock he picked up in last week’s game, Alex Tait switches from wing to full back, with Alesana Tuilagi taking the vacated number 11 shirt.
Giamba Venditti, Mike Delany and Michael Young continue as right wing, fly half and scrum half respectively.
In the pack, a straight swap at loose head prop sees club stalwart Rob Vickers take over the number 1 shirt from Eric Fry, who moves to the replacement bench, while Scottish internationals Scott Lawson and Jon Welsh remain at hooker and tight head prop.
A change in the second row engine room sees Kane Thompson return from World Cup commitments and an injury picked up on that, to partner with former England lock Mouritz Botha, while the back row continues to be made of captain Will Welch at six, Nili Latu at seven and Ally Hogg at eight.
On the bench, George McGuigan and Taione Vea join Fry in providing front row options, while Sean Robinson makes his first appearance in a match day squad this season as he continues his comeback to fitness.
Todd Clever completes the forward contingent in the replacements, with Ruki Tipuna, Tom Catterick and Tom Penny ready to provide options in the backs.
Newcastle Falcons squad
v Worcester Warriors – 7/11/2015 KO – 15:00
15. A Tait, 14. G Venditti, 13. C Harris, 12. JP. Socino, 11. A. Tuilagi, 10. M Delany, 9. M Young, 1. R Vickers, 2. S Lawson, 3. J Welsh, 4. M Botha, 5. K Thompson, 6. W Welch, 7. N Latu, 8. A Hogg
16. G McGuigan, 17. E Fry, 18. T Vea, 19. S Robinson, 20. T Clever, 21. R Tipuna, 22. T Catterick, 23. T Penny