Newcastle Red Bulls host Gloucester Rugby on Friday night in Round Nine of the 2025/26 Gallagher PREMWill Crane in action for Hartpury against Gloucester (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Gloucester Rugby have been forced into making an injury loan signing to fill the void at hooker with Hartpury RFC’s Will Crane coming in to start at hooker away at Kingston Park.

With Seb Blake, Jack Singleton and Jack Innard all unavailable, Crane, 31, takes his place between Val Rapava Ruskin and Afo Fasogbon in the front row. The second row of Freddie Thomas and Arthur Clark remains intact, with Lewis Ludlow and Jack Clement retaining their spots in the back row.

After serving his suspension for making contact with the eye of a player, Deian Gwynne returns in place of James Venter at blindside, with the South African dropping to the bench.

Captain, Tomos Williams, lines up with Ross Byrne at half-backs, with Seb Atkinson outside Byrne at 12.

18-year-old Will Knight will make his first Gallagher PREM start at outside centre, with Ollie Thorley, Jack Cotgreave and Charlie Atkinson completing the team.

The replacements are; George Knowles, Ciaran Knight, Jamal Ford-Robinson. Cam Jordan, James Venter, Mikey Austin, George Barton and Josh Hathaway.

Former Gloucester winger Christian Wade makes his first Gallagher PREM appearance for Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday. The winger is just nine tries short of the division’s all-time scoring record having returned to the sport from rugby league, and forms part of a Newcastle side showing three changes from the one which earned a four-try bonus point last time out at Bristol Bears.

Richard Palframan comes in at tight-head prop as Murray McCallum switches to the loose-head side, where Adam Brocklebank misses out due to illness.

Jamie Hodgson returns in the second row after injuring his nose during the Challenge Cup victory over the Lions three weeks ago, while Ollie Leatherbarrow continues in the back row after scoring in his last two games.

On the bench Ollie Fletcher is poised to play his 50th game for his home town club, with head coach Alan Dickens relishing the prospect of a positive start to the calendar year.

Newcastle Red Bulls: 15 Ethan Grayson, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz; 1 Murray McCallum, 2 George McGuigan (c), 3 Richard Palframan, 4 Oscar Usher, 5 Jamie Hodgson, 6 Tom Gordon, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Ollie Leatherbarrow

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Connor Hancock, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Finn Baker, 20 Amanaki Mafi, 21 James Elliott, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Oli Spencer

Gloucester Rugby: 15 Charlie Atkinson , 14 Jack Cotgreave , 13 Will Knight , 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley , 10 Ross Byrne , 9 Tomos Williams (c); 1 Val Rapava Ruskin , 2 Will Crane, 3 Afo Fasogbon , 4 Freddie Thomas . 5 Arthur Clark, 6 Deain Gwynne , 7 Lewis Ludlow , 8 Jack Clement

Replacements: 16 George Knowles , 17 Ciaran Knight , 18 Jamal Ford-Robinson , 19 Cam Jordan , 20 James Venter , 21 Mikey Austin , 22 George Barton , 23 Josh Hathaway

Referee : Christophe Ridley

Assistant referees : Richard Gordon and Wayne Falla

TMO: Peter Allan