NEWCASTLE FALCONS have recalled a number of their leading lights for tomorrow’s European Challenge Cup decider against Romanian side Bucharest Wolves.

Falcons have travelled to the Romanian city of Cluj knowing a bonus-point victory will guarantee them a place in the last eight of the competition despite last weekend’s home defeat to Newport Gwent Dragons.

Dean Richards’ side could still progress without a bonus point, but a four-try haul will ensure they make the quarter-finals provided they also beat a Bucharest side who crashed to a 43-19 defeat when they visited Kingston Park in October.

Richards has used the previous rounds of the Challenge Cup to blood a number of academy products who have been banging on the first-team door, but with the competition coming to a head tomorrow, it is telling that a number of Falcons’ biggest names are returning.

Juan Pablo Socino replaces the injured Chris Harris at inside centre, with Lee Smith replacing Tom Penny in a switch that will see the newly re-signed Alex Tait lining up on the right flank.

It is the front row that has undergone most surgery, with Rob Vickers coming in for Alex Rogers and Scotland hooker Scott Lawson returning to the fray.

Calum Green partners Kane Thompson in the second row, with Will Welch returning to skipper the side in the back row alongside Richard Mayhew and Mark Wilson.

Bucharest have displayed plenty of power up front in their European matches so far, and while Falcons should run out reasonably comfortable winners tomorrow, they may have to be patient as they look to achieve a maximum points haul.

“The players are totally aware of the maths in that a bonus-point victory will definitely see us through,” said centre Adam Powell. “We want to go through and we want to win the thing, but the only way we will do that is by going over there and doing a professional job.

“Knowing we need four tries doesn’t change how we go about it. Building pressure is the way you win games, and if we decide we want to kick penalties to start off with, I think you can easily catch up and get tries if you build the right amount of pressure.”

Newcastle Falcons: Hammersley, Tait, Powell, Socino, Smith, Catterick, Tipuna; Vickers, Lawson, Brookes, Green, Thompson, R Mayhew, Welch, M Wilson.

Replacements: Hawkins, Fry, Rogers, Robinson, Saull, Davies, Clegg, Penny.