SPECULATION is mounting that Newcastle Falcons will be spared relegation at the end of the season by increasing the Premiership from 12 to 14 teams.

There is growing disenchantment with the fact that only three league programmes are scheduled in the 12 weeks between last weekend and April 5.

While most Premiership teams, including the Falcons, are in European action this weekend and next, there are no matches scheduled during the Six Nations Championship, even though the clubs keep playing during the autumn internationals.

Newcastle have arranged a match for the opening weekend of the Six Nations, when they will entertain the Cats, a South African Super 12 team, on Friday, February 14.

"We are also looking at arranging a few more games during the Six Nations," said Director of Rugby Rob Andrew, who has also approached the Borders.

"It's OK to have a week off, but we don't want to be sitting around for five or six weeks."

With several other clubs, notably Bristol, looking at how they can generate more income to meet high wage bills, the prospect of extra Premiership games is becoming more appealing.

There could be opposition from clubs who suffer most from international calls, but no club has suffered more than Newcastle through losing Jonny Wilkinson during the autumn internationals. He hasn't played since the match against South Africa, when he was the victim of a late tackle for which lock Jannes Labuschagne was sent off.

Labuschagne is expected to be in the Cats' squad for their brief tour next month, along with Bobby Skinstad and James Dalton. Andrew is persisting with Mark Wilkinson at fly half for the first leg of the Falcons' Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final at Saracens tomorrow. There is a good chance that Wilkinson junior will return for the second leg at Kingston Park next Sunday.

Meanwhile his brother has a new half back partner in James Grindal, who was signed from Leicester last summer and is preferred to Hall Charlton for this game. Prop Ian Peel returns after injury, but New Zealanders James Christian, Craig Newby and Mark Mayerhofler are ineligible, as is Andrew Mower, who played for the Borders in this competition while on loan to them.

Hugh Vyvyan reverts to No 8 with Jon Dunbar and Phil Dowson alongside him, while Joe Shaw returns at full back with Liam Botham switching to the wing and Jamie Noon to centre.

l Exciting England prospect James Simpson-Daniel is ready to resume his illness-hit season tomorrow and help Gloucester take another step towards the Heineken Cup knockout stages.

Teessider Simpson-Daniel was struck down by glandular fever midway through England's autumn Test programme after winning his first two caps against New Zealand and Australia.

He hasn't played since England beat the world champion Wallabies on November 16, an unforgettable occasion when Simpson-Daniel created the winning try for his fellow wing Ben Cohen.