By PAUL REES

Newcastle have had little to smile about this season, but Guy Pepper has added some spice to the fare being served up at Kingston Park.
The 20-year-old flanker made a Premiership equalling 34 tackles against champions Saracens last weekend, standing out against opponents who had international back rowers Juan Martin Gonzalez, Andy Christie, Ben Earl and Billy Vunipola in their 23. The rise of Pepper, who made three

Premiership starts last season, has left Newcastle’s director of rugby Alex Codling, below, with a balancing act given the importance of the young flanker to the...