Newcastle v Exeter, 19/12/2010

This weekend Exeter make the first of three trips to the North East in 2010/11, giving us an early opportunity to avenge out second defeat in Devon this season.

Last Saturday of course saw us smashed 36-10 by the Chiefs in the first game of this Amlin Challenge Cup double-header, following a 22-17 Premiership loss at Sandy Park in September.

The omens from these two matches may not be good, but we did win on Exeter’s only previous trip to KP, 34-10 in the fourth round of the Tetley’s Bitter Cup in 1998.

Also, the Falcons have won every home game this season when I have been in the South Stand, whereas they have lost both times I have been elsewhere during a game.  If after all these years I have suddenly become an unlikely good luck charm, it is good that I’ll be behind the posts again on Sunday.

It would take a spectacularly-coincidental set of results for us to reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals ahead of Exeter and pool favourite Montpellier, but there are places in the team to be won for the game of the season on Boxing Day as well as home fans to satisfy.

This game is important and I for one will be disappointed if we don’t win.

The Falcons play a stronger side than last week, with Tane Tu’ipulotu, Luke Eves, Gcobani Bobo and Jimmy Gopperth returning in the backs, where Joel Hodgson makes a first senior start at scrum-half.  Luke Fielden is full-back with Alex Tait and Tom Catterick picking up long-term injuries at Sandy Park.  In the forwards Matt Thompson is a starter for the first time this season and Ally Hogg and Tim Swinson return.  James Hudson and Micky Young are nowhere to be seen ahead of Boxing Day.

15 Luke Fielden

14 Michael Tait

13 Tane Tu’ipulotu

12 Luke Eves

11 Gcobani Bobo

10 Jimmy Gopperth

9 Joel Hodgson

1 Grant Shiells

2 Matt Thompson

3 Kieran Brookes

4 Filipo Levi

5 Tim Swinson

6 Will Welch

7 Redford Pennycook

8 Ally Hogg

16 Micky Ward

17 Darren Fearn

18 James Hall

19 Glen Townson

20 Mark Wilson

21 Jeremy Manning

22 James Fitzpatrick

23 Danny Williams

According to Planetrugby Exeter will field the following team as they seek a first win at KP:

15 Phil Dollman

14 Matt Jess

13 Andy Higgins

12 Bryan Rennie

11 Mark Foster

10 Ryan Davis

9 Garrick Cowley

1 Ben Moon

2 Chris Whitehead

3 Chris Budgen

4 Chris Bentley

5 Dave Gannon

6 Chad Slade

7 Andy Miller

8 James Phillips

16 Jon Vickers

17 Ruaidhri Murphy

18 Ignacio Elosu

19 Michael Stupple

20 Dave Ewers

21 Junior Poluleuligaga

22 Josh Matavesi

23 Sireli Naqelevuki

Yesterday Exeter’s local paper the Express & Echo broke the news that the game could be moved to Netherdale in Galashiels if our pitch is unplayable, since Gala have undersoil heating.  A decision on the venue is expected today but with the BBC’s weather forecast currently predicting sunny skies in Newcastle over the weekend, snow at least shouldn’t be a problem.