MORONI IN TO START AS BEARS FACE NEWCASTLE RED BULLS
Matias Moroni starts in the midfield when Bristol Bears make the trip to the North East to face Newcastle Red Bulls at Kingston Park on Friday night (7.45pm KO, live on TNT Sports).
The 95-cap Argentina international is named at outside centre for the round 14 clash, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg switching to the number 12 shirt. Harry Randall comes in at scrum half to partner Tom Jordan at half-back, while in the back three there’s a start for Noah Heward on the wing.
Up front, Pat Lam names an unchanged pack from the side that stormed to victory over Gloucester at Ashton Gate last weekend, with skipper Fitz Harding, Friday night’s Player of the Match, set for his 118th appearance in a Bears shirt.
Among the replacements, there’s a place for Academy lock George Taylor while Kofi Cripps could make his Gallagher PREM debut as a replacement. Elsewhere, Sam Wolstenholme is also named, with the experience and firepower of James Williams and Kalaveti Ravouvou also primed to make an impact under the Friday night lights.
Bristol Bears team to face Newcastle Red Bulls at Kingston Park on Friday night (7.45pm KO, live on TNT Sports):
15. Rich Lane (67 apps), 14. Noah Heward (39 apps), 13. Matias Moroni (11 apps), 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg (69 apps), 11. Gabriel Ibitoye (70 apps), 10. Tom Jordan (16 apps), 9. Harry Randall (160 apps); 1. Ellis Genge (74 apps), 2. Gabriel Oghre (62 apps), 3. George Kloska (81 apps), 4. James Dun (65 apps), 5. Joe Batley (91 apps), 6. Joe Owen (60 apps), 7. Fitz Harding (c) (117 apps), 8. Benjamin Grondona (37 apps).
System players: 16. Harry Thacker (154 apps), 17. Jake Woolmore (182 apps), 18. Max Lahiff (123 apps), 19. George Taylor (15 apps), 20. Kofi Cripps (6 apps), 21. Sam Wolstenholme (19 apps), 22. James Williams (72 apps), 23. Kalaveti Ravouvou (51 apps).
Unavailable: Jimmy Halliwell, Paddy Pearce, Pedro Rubiolo, Steele Barker, Kenzie Jenkins, Santi Grondona, Luka Ivanishvili, Steven Luatua, Viliame Mata, Kieran Marmion, AJ MacGinty, Victor Worsnip, Aidan Boshoff, Louis Rees-Zammit, Josh Carrington, Benjamin Elizalde, Evan Morris.
