CHRIS HARRIS will make a welcome return to action as Newcastle Falcons resume their European campaign with a Challenge Cup trip to Grenoble tomorrow.

Harris will make his first appearance since September as he lines up at outside centre as part of a squad that features 15 players who were products of Falcons’ respected academy.

Joining Harris in a heavily home-grown back line, Brett Connon assumes full-back duties, Dan Marshall and Zach Kibirige take to the wings, and Fred Burdon captains the side from the inside-centre berth. 

Craig Willis and Sam Egerton form the starting half-back pairing, while the pack strikes a balance between youth and experience.

Fresh from scoring his first Aviva Premiership try in the dramatic conclusion to last week’s game against Bath, Ben Harris starts at loose-head alongside Ben Sowrey and Davey Wilson, while Will Witty and Mouritz Botha combine in the second row.

After returning to action from injury off the bench against Bath, Sean Robinson makes a first start of the season from the blindside flank, while livewire pair Harrison Orr and Daniel Temm complete the starting XV at openside and number eight respectively.

On the bench, South African hooker Kyle Cooper is set to make his first contribution in a Falcons shirt, while Adam Brocklebank and Scott Wilson complete the front-row replacements.

Falcons go into tomorrow’s game sitting in third position in their Challenge Cup pool, having won two and lost two so far. Grenoble are bottom of Pool Two, having suffered four successive defeats.


Newcastle Falcons: Connon, Marshall, Harris, Burdon, Kibirige, Willis, Egerton; Harris, Sowrey, D Wilson, Witty, Botha, Robinson, Orr, Temm.

Replacements: Cooper, Brocklebank, S Wilson, Green, G Young, M Young, Waldouck, Catterick.