Team news: Falcons to face Southern Knights
The two teams will play for the ‘Doddie’s Club Trophy’, with the Scotland great having played the majority of his club career at Melrose and Newcastle.
Tait captains a Newcastle side which sees Samoan international loose-head Logovi’I Mulipola packing down from the start, joined in the front row by former Scotland Under-20s hooker Robbie Smith.
Scottish international Gary Graham starts at No 8 in a back row combination with Josh Basham and Connor Collett, while George Merrick and Will Montgomery pair up in the second row.
Fresh from scoring his first Gallagher Premiership try last weekend at Gloucester, Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti starts at scrum-half, with former England Under-20s international Will Haydon-Wood outside him.
On-loan Bath player Max Wright joins George Wacokecoke in the centres, with Ollie Lindsay-Hague and Iwan Stephens forming a lively wing pairing for a side which will be coached on the night by Mark Laycock and James Ponton.
Dame Allans and England Under-18 hooker Charlie Smith is among the Falcons’ replacements, as is Matthew Dalton, the former Ulster back-five forward who joined the club in the summer.
Tickets are priced £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and free for under-18s, and can be bought by [**clicking here**][1].
**Newcastle Falcons team to face Southern Knights (Melrose RFC, 7.30pm)**
15 Alex Tait (captain), [BLANK] Ollie Lindsay-Hague, 13 George Wacokecoke, 12 Max Wright, 11 Iwan Stephens, 10 Will Haydon-Wood, 9 Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti; 1 [BLANK] Logovi’i Mulipola, 2 Robbie Smith, 3 Mark Tampin, 4 Will Montgomery, 20 George Merrick, 6 Josh Basham, 7 Connor Collett, 8 Gary Graham.
**Replacements:** [BLANK] Charlie Smith, 16 Mark Dormer, 17 Kyle Cooper, 18 Phil Brantingham, 19 Freddie Lockwood, 5 Matthew Dalton, 21 James Blackett, 22 Louie Johnson, 23 Zach Kerr, 14 Chidera Obonna.
[1]: https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/events/southern-knights/doddie-club-trophy-charity-event/
