NEWCASTLE Falcons centre Mathew Tait has insisted there will be no room for complacency when his side take on Brive in the European Challenge Cup tomorrow.

With last weekend's 47-20 win over Border Reivers having booked the Falcons' place in the quarter-finals of the competition, this weekend's trip to southern France could have turned into something of a non-event.

But, with coach Rob Andrew having named the likes of Matt Burke, Jamie Noon, Owen Finegan and Colin Charvis, in his starting XV, Newcastle are fully committed to securing the victory that would guarantee a home tie in the last eight.

"The quarter-final is already secure, but we want a home quarter and a home semi because it's vital for the club," said Tait, who was named in England coach Andy Robinson's 'A' squad on Wednesday. "So we have to go to Brive and get the result.

"Sometimes with French teams, you wonder which one is going to turn up. But the indications are that Brive are taking this seriously, so we will have to make sure we don't ease off at all.

"They can be brilliant or they can have a nightmare in the same breath, and they had a difficult time when they came to Kingston Park in October. Over there, though, we expect them to be a totally different proposition.

"They have a passionate crowd behind them and any side which beats Toulouse has to be a good one because they are a sensational team."

Last season, Tait was part of a Newcastle back row that was hailed as one of the most exciting and exuberant in the Premiership.

This year, though, the boot has been on the other foot, with the Falcons' runners being criticised while their much-improved pack receives the plaudits.

"The forwards have been awesome over the past couple of months, with Peter Walton doing particularly well," said Tait, whose younger brother, Alex, made his debut for Newcastle's second-string earlier this week. "It's been turned on its head a little bit with the backs rightly getting some of the criticism.

"We now have to find a bit more balance and make sure we use the ball well when we get it from the forwards. As backs, we can really try to take advantage of the fact we're getting front-foot ball more often than not."

* Leeds coach Daryl Powell has expressed his delight after Tykes were awarded maximum points following last weekend's postponed Heineken Cup clash against Calvisano.

The decision, made following a European Rugby Cup board meeting in Dublin, means Leeds are now level on points with Pool Two rivals Cardiff Blues, who visit Headingley on Sunday.

It leaves Tykes with a chance of making the quarter-finals.