NEWCASTLE FALCONS are in for a challenging Christmas, with tomorrow afternoon’s game against league leaders Saracens kicking off a run of three games in a fortnight against the top three teams in the Aviva Premiership.

Tomorrow’s trip to Allianz Park precedes home matches against Wasps and Bath, but director of rugby Dean Richards is confident his side have the ability to cope with the leading teams in the country.

Falcons rounded off their latest run of European matches with a resounding 48-29 win over Lyon, and resume domestic duties sitting in seventh position in the table.

They have already matched their win tally from the whole of last season, and while Saracens are able to recall England winger Chris Ashton for his first appearance following a 13-match suspension for biting, Richards is relishing tomorrow’s festive test.

“You couldn’t ask for anything more difficult than playing the top three teams in the Aviva Premiership back to back, and it is a challenge for the boys,” said the Falcons chief. “We will take from it what we can, but we are certainly not approaching it with any degree of fear.

 “Saracens are without doubt a quality side, as you would expect from the English and European champions. They have got a squad which reflects that, so for us the challenge is to go down there and knock them off their perch. We are looking forward to it, we are under no illusions as to what it will take, but the boys are definitely up for it.”

Richards has made eight changes to his starting line-up, with Vereniki Goneva and Marcus Watson returning in the wide positions. Alex Tait comes in at full-back, with Fred Burdon the other addition to the back line. Rob Vickers and Scott Lawson slot into the front row, Canadian international Evan Olmstead returns to the second row and Ally Hogg comes in at number eight.

“I’ve said all along that there are no sides in the Premiership who worry us in terms of going out there and getting thumped,” added Richards. “Saracens are quite predictable in the way that they play, but they go about it in a very thorough and methodical way. What they do, they are very effective at, and we need to be disciplined in how we deal with it.”

Newcastle Falcons: Tait, Watson, Burdon, Socino, Goneva, Hodgson, Takulua; Vickers, Lawson, Welsh, Green, Olmstead, Chick, M Wilson, Hogg.

Replacements: Sowrey, Harris, Ryan, Witty, Fonua, Egerton, Willis, Waldouck.