Newcastle Red Bulls team to face Saracens

Tim Cardall returns for Newcastle Red Bulls on Saturday when they make the PREM Rugby Cup trip to Saracens.

The lock-forward plays his first game in 18 months as his team go for back-to-back victories in the competition, having been 31-14 winners last weekend in Northampton.

Cardall’s return from a foot injury sees him forming part of a freshened-up forward pack, with hooker Ollie Fletcher captaining the side for the 2pm kick-off at StoneX Stadium.

Academy graduates Reuben Parsons, Micky Rewcastle and Adam Scott all start, while Stewart Moore retains his place in the centres having scored a hat-trick on his debut last weekend.

Boeta Chamberlain is back at fly-half having recovered from a hamstring injury, with James Elliott joining him in the half-backs.

Head coach Alan Dickens, a former Saracen himself during his playing days, said: “Any Sarries side will bring physicality, they’ll play for territory and they had a big performance in this competition last week at Harlequins. So it’s shaping up nicely, and I’m looking forward to the contest.

“When they came up here in the league in September, one of the positives we took from the night was that after 65 minutes we were still in the game. It was obviously disappointing not to convert from there, but we know it will be a good contest.”

Asked about his selection policy for the Cup, the Newcastle boss explained: “It’s a short turnaround from along away trip into our next Gallagher PREM game, so we’re partly mindful of that, but equally it’s a chance for guys to come in and show us what they’re about.

“Every time you play it’s an opportunity to stake your claim, and if lads are taking their chances then we’ve got some tough decisions to make when the league selections come round again. That’s how you want it to be as a coach.”

Having seen Stewart Moore running in a hat-trick on his debut at Northampton last time out, Dickens said of the on-loan Ulster centre: “Stewart did really well, as did a number of the lads.

“As a coach it’s given me those selection dilemmas that I’ve just talked about. That drives standards within the group, and is ultimately what will enable us to progress as a team.”

Keen to kick on from last weekend’s triumph away to the Saints, he added: “People might say it’s the PREM Rugby Cup, which I do understand, but that’s the first game Northampton have lost in any tournament this season and the first time in a long while that we’ve beaten them.

“Nobody here is going overboard and we fully appreciate the wider context, but on the same token we got our attack firing and have started to build some momentum. The key now is to ensure it isn’t a one-off, and that we use these next few games to show what we’re about.

“One of the things that really pleased me was the fact we stayed together in the first half when a couple of things went against us. It’s easy to lose your head in those situations and dig yourself into further trouble, but we trusted the system and ultimately it paid off.

“The massive positive from there was shutting them out in the second half and scoring four tries to none, but clearly there are learnings from the first half where we allowed them into our 22, and they were able to capitalise.”

Supporters are advised that Saturday’s game is not being televised, but there is live audio commentary via the BBC Rugby website.

Newcastle Red Bulls team v Saracens (Saturday, 2pm, StoneX Stadium)

15 Sam Waugh, 14 Stefan Coetzee, 13 Oli Spencer, 12 Stewart Moore, 11 Nathan Greenwood, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 James Elliott; 1 Micky Rewcastle, 2 Ollie Fletcher (captain), 3 Luan de Bruin, 4 Tim Cardall, 5 Seb de Chaves, 6 Adam Scott, 7 Tom Gordon, 8 Reuben Parsons.

Replacements: 16 Hame Faiva, 17 Connor Hancock, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Finn Baker, 20 Ollie Leatherbarrow, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Cameron Hutchison, 23 Harrison Obatoyinbo.

Not available for selection: Sammy Arnold, Rhys Beeckmans, Eduardo Bello, Max Clark, Freddie Clarke, Joe Davis, Connor Doherty, Joel Grayson, Callum Hancock, John Hawkins, Elvis Kitenge-Fuki, Fergus Lee-Warner, Elliott Obatoyinbo, Christian Wade, Liam Williams.