Newcastle Red Bulls team to face Bath Rugby

Connor Hancock makes his first Gallagher PREM start for Newcastle Red Bulls on Saturday when they travel to Bath Rugby.

The loose-head packs down in a side showing eight personnel changes from last week’s home loss to Harlequins, with Murray McCallum coming in on the tight-head side.

John Hawkins and Freddie Clarke form a new-look second-row pairing, packing down in front of a back-row which sees the addition of Adam Scott and former Bath player Fergus Lee-Warner.

The only two changes to the back-line see Rhys Beeckmans and Harrison Obatoyinbo both included, with Elliott Obatoyinbo missing out after picking up a hamstring injury in the warm-up before last weekend’s game.

Determined to address the manner of that performance as they head down to face the champions, Newcastle Red Bulls head coach Stephen Jones said: “We’re a very honest group, and that performance was way below our standards.

“There was a huge amount of frustration and disappointment within the squad and staff, as I know there will have been among our supporter base, and the main question we have to ask ourselves is ‘why?’

“We have to have a response to it and get back to the standards we’ve set for ourselves.

“Our first attacking set was 18 minutes into the game, and even though we scored from it we can’t be waiting 18 minutes to mount an attack. That’s not our game, but our continuity wasn’t there and we turned the ball over too easily. 

“On both sides of the ball it wasn’t good enough and we’re not hiding from that, but what we have to make sure is we address those areas. On top of that we have to bring the required energy to play our game, and that’s the absolute minimum in terms of your foundation.”

Jones added: “There has to be reaction on Saturday, because we cannot and will not accept what happened last weekend.

“What’s important is that we understand how we can move forward, and whilst we have huge respect for everything Bath have achieved, all we can focus on is ourselves and pushing forward with our own standards.

“Let’s get our own house in order and make sure we fully understand how we want to play the game. Not only that, but bring the energy and desire which should be a pre-requisite for every single player who wears this shirt.

“I’ve heard people say it’s a period of transition and all the rest of it, but I’m not here to make excuses. We’ve got three games to go, and we’re determined to put our best foot forward every single time we take the field.”

Newcastle Red Bulls v Bath Rugby (Saturday, 3pm, The Recreation Ground, live on HBO Max)

15 Josh Hodge, 14 Harrison Obatoyinbo, 13 Rhys Beeckmans, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Alex Hearle, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz; 1 Connor Hancock, 2 George McGuigan (captain), 3 Murray McCallum, 4 Freddie Clarke, 5 John Hawkins, 6 Adam Scott, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Fergus Lee-Warner.

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Jamie Clark, 18 Adam Brocklebank, 19 Jamie Hodgson, 20 Amanaki Mafi, 21 James Elliott, 22 Ethan Grayson, 23 Christian Wade.

Not available for selection: Eduardo Bello, Boeta Chamberlain, Max Clark, Joe Davis, Luan de Bruin, Seb de Chaves, Jack Dickens, Connor Doherty, Joel Grayson, Nathan Greenwood, Callum Hancock, Ollie Leatherbarrow, Freddie Lockwood, Cameron Neild, Elliott Obatoyinbo, Richard Palframan, Reuben Parsons, Micky Rewcastle, Oli Spencer, Oscar Usher, Sam Waugh.