Falcons hope to sneak third place in table

JOSH Matavesi moves to fly-half as Newcastle Falcons hosts Wasps in today’s battle for third place in the Aviva Premiership table at a sold-out Kingston Park Stadium.

The Fijian international has been a mainstay of the Falcons’ midfield this season but moves into the No 10 shirt for the final game of the regular season following the knee injury sustained by Joel Hodgson.

Newcastle go into the game with a Premiership semi-final spot and European Champions Cup Rugby already secured - but the battle for third remains very much alive.

Whoever finishes third will travel to Saracens in the Premiership semi-finals on Saturday, May 19, the fourth-placed side facing a trip to Exeter Chiefs the same day.

Any Falcons win apart from a 4-2 points victory would secure third place (ie Newcastle win without a try bonus point and Wasps pick up two bonus points).

Newcastle make eight changes in total with last week’s Welford Road victory taking a heavy toll on the injury front, Vereniki Goneva – the Aviva Premiership player of the month for April – Scott Wilson, Sinoti Sinoti, Michael Young and Sean Robinson all missing out.

Alex Tait and Zach Kibirige come in on the wings, Juan Pablo Socino slots in at inside centre while last week’s match-winner Sonatane Takulua comes into the No 9 shirt.

Evan Olmstead and Will Witty form the second-row partnership, Rob Vickers in for Sam Lockwood at loose-head in what will be the last ever home game for the longserving prop. No 8 Ally Hogg also starts for the final time at Kingston Park, keeping his place in the side.

The only other change to the team sees Trevor Davison packing down at tight-head.

Director of rugby Dean Richards said: “Saturday is going to be a huge occasion here with it being a 10,100 sell-out, we have longserving players making their last home appearances and playing for third place in the Premiership.

“It is a game which does not take much selling because the script is all there, the boys are going well and a team like Wasps will also play a brand of rugby which people enjoy watching. Whichever way you look at it we should see some good stuff - it will be an interesting 80 minutes.”

NEWCASTLE FALCONS (to face Wasps, today at 4.00,

Kingston Park, live on BT Sport): 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Alex Tait, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Zach Kibirige, 10 Josh Matavesi, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 1 Rob Vickers, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Trevor Davison, 4 Evan Olmstead, 5 Will Witty, 6 Mark Wilson (captain), 7 Gary Graham, 8 Ally Hogg. Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Sam Lockwood, 18 David Wilson, 19 Glen Young, 20 Nili Latu, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Craig Willis, 23 Tom Penny.