FORMER Australia full back Matt Burke is desperately hoping he gets more than six minutes of action in Newcastle Falcons' match at Bath today.

He was not in the squad for last week's win at Worcester but has been named on the bench today and is certain to replace Joe Shaw at some point.

"I have done a great deal of training this year but haven't played enough," said Burke. "I got six minutes in my last Test against South Africa and game time is what it is all about."

Burke insisted that his 11-year Test career was over after the Tri Nations decider in Durban, which earned him his 81st cap.

He decided to come to Newcastle after New South Wales Waratahs did not take up an option to extend his contract by a year.

"That was disappointing because of the loyalty factor," he said, adding that he had spoken to the Falcons' former forwards coach, Andrew Blades, about the club.

"He was very positive, although he said it gets a bit cold," said Burke. "There's a lot of talent here and it's an exciting prospect.

"The challenge is to keep playing at a consistently high level and I have vowed to do that. Newcastle have a number of players I have admired for a while and that was definitely a factor in coming here."

The Falcons have made two changes to the starting line-up with hooker Andy Long coming in against his former club and James Grindal replacing Hall Charlton at scrum half.

"The changes are for tactical reasons," said Director of Rugby Rob Andrew. "Matt Burke has settled in exceptionally well. He has been finding his feet and getting his family settled.

"He's desperate to start playing, but we felt the right way to go about it was to start him on the bench.

"Hall Charlton will also come on and make a difference, as he did in the Powergen Cup final.

"The line-out was not as good as we would have liked at Worcester, but we believe we have worked out the reasons for that. Bath are very competitive at the line-out, so we have to hope Steve Lander will referee it to the letter of the law, otherwise we will have a free-for-all.

"People are going to be surprised by our size. The eight forwards who started last week weighed in at 143st and I'm not sure we will come up against many that big."

Bath, who lost their opening match at Northampton, recall England backs Mike Tindall and Ollie Barkley.

There are two derbies in National Three North with Darlington at home to Blaydon and Darlington Mowden Park away to Tynedale.

Darlington will have prop Joe Oselton starting alongside his brother Dan as Paul Shepherd is on holiday, while the backs have yet to be finalised with winger Frankie Coulson back after a summer of stock car racing.

"Joe did well when he came on last week and now has the chance to make the position his own," said coach Craig Lee.

"We have to decide whether to start with David Glendenning at full back and David Kell at centre. If we do that we will probably have David Andrew on the bench. It seems to give us a different dimension when we switch Rob Stewart to the wing and bring David on at scrum half."

Darlington won at home to Blaydon in the league last season but lost to them in the Durham Cup final four months ago, when the Crow Tress club had worked hard on stopping Darlington's driving maul.

Blaydon centre Luke Wattam is doubtful with the shoulder injury he suffered last week, but Peter Kilburn and fly half Dan Clappison are available. They also hope to have Jimmy Houghton back at lock.

Mowden have turned to Jonny Golightly in an effort to solve their problem at fly half, switching Mark Bedworth to full back and leaving South African Michael Georgiou on the bench, along with the two new Tongans.

Golightly, who has looked sharp in training, will be playing his first game for two years following a knee operation.

Mowden are expecting a big lock to arrive from South Africa today and in the meantime they have switched Paul Evans from No 8 to partner Ian Robinson.

Tom McLaren and ex-Otley flanker Matthew Wright come into the back row and the front row is unchanged with Danny Brown again required by the Newcastle Development XV on Monday.

Gareth Kerr will be at fly half in Mowden's second team at Morpeth after returning from a tournament in India, where he represented the national team courtesy of an Indian grandparent.

Middlesbrough have hooker Chris Horton back for the trip to Sheffield, their second successive away match in North One. The former Newcastle player pulled out of the defeat at Morley because of illness.

In North Two East Stockton entertain Morpeth with Brett Wildridge back alongside the Brown brothers, Alan and Wayne, in the back row. Graeme Kell and Mattie Oates are at centre against a team who beat Stockton twice last season.

West Hartlepool pay their first visit to Malton and Norton, while Westoe's promotion credentials under new player/coach Richard Arnold will be tested at home relegated Huddersfield, who beat Stockton 41-0 last week