By Aidanb
March 30 2022

Newcastle Falcons have named their side for Wednesday’s Premiership Rugby Cup trip to Northampton Saints. Scrum-half James Blackett (pictured, 20) makes his first competitive start, while back-rowers Marcus Tiffen and Matt Deehan (both 19) earn their debuts in the 7.45pm kick-off, with the Falcons looking to secure semi-final qualification from their final group game.  

Centre Pete Lucock captains the team, with recent England Under-20s cap Iwan Stephens starting on the wing after scoring three tries in three games for the Falcons this season.

Prop-forward Conrad Cade makes his first senior start – Newcastle having won two of their three games in the competition so far this season, beating Wasps (34-27), taking a losing bonus point at Sale Sharks (25-20) and defeating Leicester Tigers (36-28).

Hooker Charlie Maddison shifts to the back-row as the Falcons negotiate a barrage of injuries in that department, finding themselves in a run of three away games in the space of just eight days.

On the bench there could be first-team debuts for England Under-20s pair Ollie Fletcher (hooker) and Louie Johnson (fly-half), who have both just competed in the recent Six Nations.

Replacement scrum-half Ben Douglas could follow in the footsteps of his father Steve, who is a former Newcastle Gosforth scrum-half, with England Under-18s international Ben currently a pupil on the Falcons’ ACE programme at Gosforth Academy. 

Two guest players from Newcastle University are also in line for their debuts should they come on from the bench, in the form of lock Arinze Okemuo and back-rower George Bennett-Teare.

read the rest of the article here 

and this link is the one to explain the cup rules