CALLUM CHICK says Newcastle Falcons will be mounting a revenge mission on Saturday when they welcome Gloucester to Kingston Park.

The Gallagher Premiership game sees Falcons up against a Cherry-and-Whites side who prevailed 29-20 at Kingsholm in October, despite the teams scoring two tries apiece.

Five penalties from fly-half Lloyd Evans ended up proving to be the difference, with Chick saying ahead of the re-match: “As a squad we have a point to prove, because we feel like we let ourselves down in the away game at Gloucester back in the early autumn.

“We didn’t feel as if we were outplayed, it was just our discipline that let us down, and we feel that this is a game we’re more than capable of winning.”

Gloucester sit at fourth in the league and won away at Saracens in their last Premiership outing, scoring more driving maul tries than any side in the division.

“We’ve had a discussion about their maul, which has obviously been a proven weapon for them consistently over the season,” said Chick, the 25-year-old Ponteland native who came through the Falcons academy to make his full England debut last summer.

“We’ll pay it the respect it deserves, but at the same time when we do our own stuff right we stop them from getting into a position whereby they can use it. So there’s very much an inward focus on ourselves, and we’re confident bearing all of that in mind that we’ll be able to manage what they throw at us.”

Asked how they can stop the Gloucester maul, Chick stated: “Hit them harder than what they hit us!

“No, I mean there are obviously a lot of things go into it other than that, in terms of what positions you get into at what times and stuff like that. There are roles and tricks of the trade once you’re in there to try and disrupt their maul and make a mess of it, but sometimes you’ve just got to throw your head into the spokes!”

Having had multiple games cancelled due to Covid within the past month, including last weekend’s trip to Toulon, the back-row forward admitted it had been a disrupted build-up for the Falcons, who have still had some players and coaches isolating this week.

“It’s been a frustrating month with games getting cancelled, and even with the games which have gone ahead we’ve had players and coaches ducking out at various times due to positive tests or having to isolate as close contacts,” said the man who has scored 16 tries in his 96 appearances for the Falcons.