Having missed out against Harlequins last weekend, Tom Marshall returns for Gloucester as they prepare to face Newcastle in the Challenge Cup semi-final.
Marshall, a try scorer in the quarter-final victory over Connacht last month, takes over from Charlie Sharples on the right wing in the only change to the backline from the side that started against Harlequins last Saturday.
There is a new look front-row in Paddy McAllister, Motu Matu’u and Fraser Balmain. Ed Slater continues to skipper the side but will be partnered by Mariano Galarza in the second-row. The final change sees Ruan Ackermann return in the back-row.
The two teams have met three times competitively already this season, including just a few weeks ago in the Premiership at Kingsholm, and Gloucester’s head coach Johan Ackermann knows there isn’t much to choose between the two sides.
“There’s obviously a lot at stake and both sides showed some good qualities last weekend,” he said. “We’ve played each other three times already so not an unknown factor, both teams know each other quite well so it makes the contest quite intriguing.
“Newcastle are the one side to come and beat us at Kingsholm in the league which shows their quality, but we went there and beat them. So, it just shows how well balanced the two teams are.
“So, on the night it will probably be the team that’s the most focused and most accurate that will get the result. We can’t afford any complacency, the reality is that they’ll come down with a lot of confidence as they’re doing well in the Premiership and have beaten us here before.
“We have to make sure that we get out of the blocks and play well and don’t disrespect the opposition.”
Meanwhile, scrum-half Michael Young captains Newcastle having been man of the match during the Falcons’ Premiership victory at Kingsholm less than two months ago.
Young scored one try and made the other in the Falcons’ 21-20 triumph over the Cherry and Whites back on March 3, and skippers the side in the absence of Will Welch, who suffered a leg injury during Friday’s 35-30 home win over Sale Sharks.
The winner of Friday’s semi-final will face either Cardiff Blues or French club Pau in the European Challenge Cup final in Bilbao on Friday May 11.
Newcastle make six changes for the West Country clash with two-time Champions Cup winner Maxime Mermoz starting at outside centre as Chris Harris is pushed to the wing; Josh Matavesi coming into the team at inside centre.
Joel Hodgson continues at fly-half after steering the Falcons to their league victory at Gloucester.
Zach Kibirige starts on the left wing after scoring one of four Falcons’ tries in the 25-10 quarter-final victory at home to French club Brive three weeks ago, while Sean Robinson replaces Will Witty in the second-row.
Evan Olmstead and Ryan Burrows come into the back-row, and last week’s man of the match Gary Graham continues at openside after making a successful return from two months out with a neck injury.
Last week’s match-winner Rob Vickers sits on a Newcastle bench which sees a return for England flanker Mark Wilson, with the tournament’s top try-scorer Adam Radwan also lying in wait.
Director of rugby Dean Richards said: “Gloucester have got stacks of pace and I think they’re an outstanding team.
“It will be an interesting duel, their form is probably a bit better than ours in recent weeks but I thought the way we came back against Sale means it will go right down to the wire. If that transpires then I feel we have more chance of winning it than they have, just down to our ability to finish off the tight games.”
Determined not to let a second chance at a final pass them by, Richards added: “When we lost that Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final down at Exeter earlier in the season it really annoyed me because I love winning, and we were within reach of a final.
“We didn’t turn up on the day, we probably didn’t pay Exeter enough respect and that certainly won’t be the case on Friday. It’s all about understanding who we’ve got, what they can do and then going out and delivering what we have talked about.
“There are a few changes due to injuries, guys coming back and some boys not being registered for Europe, but the upshot is that we have fresh legs taking the field and a group of guys who are absolutely raring to go.”
Form: This will be the first time the clubs have met in the Challenge Cup despite having played a combined 196 games in the competition. Newcastle have scored 10 tries this season originating from a turnover, more than any other side, while Gloucester have scored the second most (7, level with Agen). The Falcons have missed fewer tackles per game than any other side this season (12.7) and as a result boast the best tackle success rate (91%).Gloucester have averaged 5.9 tries per game, more than any other side this season, while Newcastle have scored the third most (5.3). Adam Radwan leads the way for tries scored (10), metres gained (630), defenders beaten (45) and clean breaks (13, level with Gloucester’s Henry Purdy). Just three players have assisted 5 tries in this season’s Challenge Cup – Gloucester’s Owen Williams (6) and Ben Vellacott (5) and Newcastle’s Toby Flood (5).
The teams:
Gloucester: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Tom Marshall, 13 Billy Twelvetrees, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Henry Trinder, 10 Billy Burns, 9 Callum Braley, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Jake Polledri, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 Mariano Galarza, 4 Ed Slater (c), 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Motu Matu’u, 1 Paddy McAllister
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Josh Hohneck, 18 John Afoa, 19 Freddie Clarke, 20 Lewis Ludlow, 21 Ben Vellacott, 22 Andy Symons, 23 Charlie Sharples
Newcastle: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Chris Harris, 13 Maxime Mermoz, 12 Josh Matavesi, 11 Zach Kibirige, 10 Joel Hodgson, 9 Michael Young (c), 8 Ryan Burrows, 7 Gary Graham, 6 Evan Olmstead, 5 Sean Robinson, 4 Calum Green, 3 Scott Wilson, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Sam Lockwood
Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Rob Vickers, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Will Witty, 20 Mark Wilson, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Adam Radwan, 23 Tom Penny
Date: Friday, April 20
Venue: Kingsholm
Kick-off: 19:45 BST (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Pierre Brousset (France)
Television match official: Éric Briquet-Campin (France)
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