TEAM NEWS | NEWCASTLE RED BULLS v SHARKS
Ben and Tom Curry will start a game together for the first time since June 2025, while Dom Hanson is set to start his first PREM game after Alex Sanderson named a powerful team to face Newcastle Red Bulls in on the Gallagher PREM’s Derby Weekend (Friday 23rd Oct, KO 7.45pm, live on HBO Max).
The Sharks Director of Rugby has made four changes in total to his side with Christ Tshiunza and Tom O’Flaherty also returning to the XV following the Champions Cup defeat to Glasgow.
Alex has picked an unchanged front row with more than 200 international caps to face our northern neighbours with Nicky Smith once again linking up with Tomas Francis and Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Skipper Ernst van Rhyn teams up with Ben Bamber again in the second row and there are two changes in the back row as Tshiunza comes into the number six shirt with Ben Curry at seven and brother Tom at eight.
With Gus Warr missing with a minor calf strain, England U20s scrum-half Hanson will start with George Ford at half-back and they’ll have Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and Joe Marchant outside them in the centres.
In the back three, winger O’Flaherty starts after missing the Glasgow defeat, along with Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Alex has plenty of power and energy to call upon from the bench with Nathan Jibulu, Si McIntyre and Asher Opoku-Fordjour the front row replacements.
Elia Canakaivata are the other forwards on the bench with Marius Louw, Alex Lozowski and Arron Reed making up the rest of the replacements.
Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter
14. Tom Roebuck
13. Joe Marchant
12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White
11. Tom O’Flaherty
10. George Ford
9. Dom Hanson;
1. Nicky Smith
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie
3. Tomas Francis
4. Ernst van Rhyn (c)
5. Ben Bamber
6. Christ Tshiunza
7. Ben Curry
8. Tom Curry.
Replacements:
16. Nathan Jibulu
17. Si McIntyre
18. Asher Opoku-Fordjour
19. Elia Canakaivata
20. Sam Dugdale
21. Alex Lozowski
22. Marius Louw
23. Arron Reed
Unavailable for selection:
Luke James (hamstring)
Xavier Roe (flown home)
Jacques Vermeulen (suspension)
Bevan Rodd (wrist)
Gus Warr (calf strain)
Courtney Lawes (rotation)
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