Aviva Premiership preview: Falcons v Saracens
Last Updated: 27/12/14 2:16pm
Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards has chosen to back consistency as he makes only three changes to the starting side for his side's Round 11 fixture against Saracens.
Newcastle attacked well in phases and troubled the Harlequins defence in the first half of their Aviva Premiership match last weekend but they were unable to cross the whitewash in their 15-6 loss at the Stoop.
Richards will have been impressed with his charges and has opted for only three changes to the starting side that lined up on Saturday.
Alex Tait comes in to the team at full-back to replace Simon Hammersley, who was forced to leave the field during the Quins game. The rest of the backline remains unchanged as Mike Blair and Tom Catterick pair up in the half-back positions to run the game for the Falcons.
In the forwards, Scott Lawson takes over at hooker while Samoa's Kane Thompson has replaced Dom Barrow and pairs up with Calum Green in the second row.
Saracens got back to winning ways when they ran in 11 tries last week to beat London Welsh 78-7 and return to the play-off spots. Richard Wigglesworth scored a hat-trick and Owen Farrell notched 10 conversions in 11 attempts as well as a penalty to give him a haul of 23 points on the day.
Pressure had been piling on Mark McCall and his team as they lost two of their previous three encounters and drew the other, but they answered their critics with a clinical dispay at Allianz Park.
Neil de Kock retains his starting spot this week as Owen Farrell is moved from fly-half to inside centre to accommodate the return of Charlie Hodgson. Alex Goode replaces Ben Ransom at full-back.
Jamie George comes into the team at hooker at the expense of Brett Sharman who drops to the bench and captain Alistair Hargreaves is back to partner Jim Hamilton in the second row.
No 8 Ernst Joubert is the only loose foward to retain his place after the London Welsh win, and he is joined this week by Billy Vunipola and Jacques Burger.
Sale Sharks: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Sinoti Sinoti, 13 Adam Powell, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Tom Catterick, 9 Mike Blair, 1 Rob Vickers, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Scott Wilson, 4 Calum Green, 5 Kane Thompson, 6 Mark Wilson, 7 Will Welch, 8 Allister Hogg.
Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Eric Fry, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Josh Furno, 20 Andy Saull, 21 Ruki Tipuna, 22 Chris Harris, 23 Tom Penny.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Neil de Kock, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 James Johnston, 4 Jim Hamilton, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 6 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jacques Burger, 8 Ernst Joubert.
Replacements: 16 Brett Sharman, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Petrus Du Plessis, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Nick Tompkins, 23 David Strettle.
