MATHEW TAIT insists his Leicester Tigers team-mates will not be underestimating the threat posed by Newcastle Falcons as he prepares to make what could be his final playing appearance at Kingston Park.

Tait, who will be part of the Leicester line-up that takes on Falcons on Sunday, is due to leave the Aviva Premiership at the end of the season to join French Top 14 side Bayonne.

The Wolsingham-raised 29-year-old, who is a product of Barnard Castle School, spent four seasons as a Falcons player after graduating from the club’s academy in 2004.

He made his England debut during that time, and has subsequently gone on to enjoy a successful career with both Sale and Leicester.

Sunday's game will see him line up against his brother, Alex, who will perform full-back duties for Falcons, and while Newcastle will go into the game in 11th position in the table, the elder Tait sibling is anticipating a close encounter.

“I think we are in a good position, but we have a huge task this weekend coming up to Kingston Park,” said Mathew. “Hopefully, we’ll have a few of the guys back from Six Nations duty who maybe are in need of some game time to strengthen our squad a little bit, but it is going to be a tough ask.

“Historically, I know teams didn’t like coming because it would blowing a gale or raining, and the pitch was boggy, but this year it is all change with the artificial surface, the players up there and Dave (Walder) on the staff.

“The club is playing well and we know it is going to be a really tough game. No one down here is underestimating Newcastle by any stretch of the imagination.”

With a significant injury crisis restricting their front-row options, Falcons have had to complete the emergency signing of Worcester prop Rob O’Donnell in order to ensure they can name the required number of scrummaging replacements this weekend.

Falcons are without all four of their senior tight-heads – Kieran Brookes, Oliver Tomaszczyk, Scott Wilson and Juan Pablo Orlandi – and even Eric Fry, who has played at tight-head on a small number of occasions, is out of action with a broken leg.

O’Donnell, a 29-year-old who was part of the Worcester side that dropped out of the Premiership last season, has joined on a short-term basis and will start on the bench against Leicester.

Alex Rogers is promoted to the starting front row, and is one of three changes from the side that picked up a losing bonus point at Saracens last weekend.

Ruki Tipuna replaces Mike Blair at scrum-half, while Richard Mayhew is preferred to Andy Saull in the back row.

Newcastle Falcons: Tait, Sinoti, Powell, Socino, Ales Tuilagi, Catterick, Tipuna; Vickers, Lawson, Rogers, Thompson, Barrow, R Mayhew, Welch, M Wilson.

Replacements: Hawkins, Irving, O’Donnell, Furno, Saull, Takulua, Tiesi, Cato.