NEWCASTLE FALCONS have taken the opportunity to rest some of their key players as they return to European Challenge Cup action in Lyon tomorrow.

Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards has made 12 changes to the side that beat Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership last weekend, with continental competition playing second fiddle to domestic concerns at this stage of the season.

Newcastle and Lyon are tied on five points after the opening two rounds of the Challenge Cup, but neither side is expected to progress, with Welsh side Ospreys already having beaten both teams.

As a result, David Wilson, Alex Tait and Fred Burdon are the only players turning out tomorrow who also started against Quins, but head coach John Wells remains confident Falcons can improve on their only previous outing in Lyon, which resulted in a 21-13 defeat in January 2012.

“It has been great to get our last two wins in the Aviva Premiership, and everyone at the club is really positive,” said Wells. “Lyon is a new challenge for us, it is an exciting prospect to be going over there and the boys are looking forward to it.

“I don’t know how this group is going to work out over the six-game period, but all we can do is go over to France and try to win the next game. Our guys have put in a big effort in the Premiership, we were always going to make changes for Europe but we have still got a team which can go over and beat Lyon.

“In some ways Lyon have their own battles with being near the bottom of the Top 14, so it is probably fair to say this competition may not be their highest priority, but they are at home and they are a French team. We have got to go over there and understand there is an opportunity to win this game, but we have to match them physically and mentally to stand a chance.”

Tom Catterick will make his first start of the season tomorrow, having been promoted to the starting line-up at full-back.

Zach Kibirige also makes his first senior appearance of the campaign after recovering from injury, Brett Connon and Sam Egerton form a new-look half-back partnership, Alex Rogers and Ben Sowrey join the front-row ranks, while American lock Nick Civetta makes his second Challenge Cup appearance of the season alongside former England cap Mouritz Botha.

Glen Young is added to the back row after scoring twice for Doncaster Knights in last weekend’s Championship triumph at Jersey, and Harrison Orr also returns from Doncaster duty in a back row completed by the return of Daniel Temm from last week’s England Sevens debut in Dubai.

Newcastle Falcons: Catterick, Tait, Waldouck, Burdon, Kibirige, Connon, Egerton; Rogers, Sowrey, D Wilson, Botha, Civetta, G Young, Temm, Orr.

Replacements: Nelson, Vickers, Foster, Watson, M Wilson, Hodgson, Marshall, Delany.