NEWCASTLE Falcons are hoping the return of Jamie Noon will compensate for the loss of Jonny Wilkinson and help them end their depressing run of home defeats tomorrow.

With Noon not required by England, only skipper Colin Charvis is absent on international duty, while visitors Wasps will be without Josh Lewsey, Tom Voyce, Matt Dawson and possibly Simon Shaw, who is on the England bench today.

With Mark Mayerhofler back after injury, the Falcons field their first-choice centre pairing for the first time for six weeks, with 20-year-old Toby Flood taking Wilkinson's place at fly half.

After playing at inside centre recently he said: "I have learnt from playing outside quality fly-halves like Jonny and Dave Walder.

"I am more used to playing at ten and it probably comes a bit more naturally, but I don't mind where I play.

"We are all surprised to see Noony here this week but from a club point of view he's been a big miss, as is Mark Mayerhofler.

"They work very well together and as a No 10 to have those two outside you gives you a feeling of security.

"I wouldn't say I'm over-confident but I've always had a crack if there's been a glimpse of a gap. I probably throw too many 50-50 passes out of the tackle, but I wouldn't want to lose that willingness to have a go.

"You just have to find the balance and I'm learning those things at the moment."

Rob Andrew has preferred Flood to Walder, explaining: "I have been very impressed with Toby in the last few games.

"It isn't that Dave Walder has done anything wrong, we just feel that for tactical reasons in this game Toby should have the place because of the way Wasps defend and the way we want to attack them.

"He has attacked the line extremely well from inside centre and I think he has a huge amount of potential in both positions."

After losing their three home Guinness Premiership matches to lesser sides than champions Wasps, Newcastle are only four points off the bottom, but Andrew said: "We have to stick with the pack and give them some confidence.

"We also have to keep up the good work Peter Walton has done with them in the last two weeks in simplifying things a bit, such as the line-outs, which were much better last week.

"We could have Stuart Grimes back at Leeds next Friday, along with Colin Charvis, and we need to get Owen Finegan contributing more.

"What this team needs is possession. Statistics show that if we get more than two phases with the ball we either score or win a penalty because our opponents don't want us to play.

"Against Saracens last week we had much less possession but scored three tries and bombed four more because we either dropped the ball, forced the pass or lost it at the breakdown. These are basic things which come with experience and at the moment we are a young side."

West Stand tickets have virtually sold out for tomorrow's match, but anyone wishing to enquire about terrace tickets or half-season tickets for the seven Premiership matches after Christmas should ring 0871 226 6060.

Blaydon have been told by Nottingham that there should be no problem with their Powergen National Trophy sixth-round tie going ahead today.

An 8.30am inspection is planned with Blaydon's four busloads due to leave at nine for the 3pm kick-off.

Secretary Jim Huxley said: "The players and spectators are really up for this and it would be hard to generate the same enthusiasm again if the match were postponed.

"If we win and get into the quarter-finals on January 7 we would have to rearrange our match against Bradford and Bingley, which would create a problem. But it would be a nice problem to have.

"Being top of the league and having a good run in the cup has really set the club alight and we are not going there just to make up the numbers."

Although Nottingham are two divisions higher, they have lost all four games since beating Lydney in the fifth round, while Blaydon have won nine successive games.

They are guaranteed £16,800 even if they lose today and it goes up by £4,000 if they win.

Ed Thorpe is to have a knee operation and will be out for two months, so skipper Dave Guthrie will play at No 8 with Pat Segi returning at blind side.

Nottingham's captain, Craig Hammond, is injured but they appear to have picked their strongest available side.

Darlington Mowden Park will be confident of a third successive win at home to New Brighton, who lost 41-9 at home to Blaydon last week to remain next to bottom of National Three North.

Although lock Iain Robinson is fit again it has been decided to give him another week as four players are unavailable next Saturday because they are going to play in the Dubai Sevens.

Among them are today's second row pairing of Gavin Stainsby and Anthony Peck, who are expected to be replaced by Robinson and Naude Pretorius next week.

Stainsby's switch from blind side allows Eni Gisende to start. He has been given an extra year in the Newcastle Academy to see if he can make the breakthrough, but although he has progressed he was only on the bench for Monday's Development XV game against Glasgow. Mowden might also want him for next week's game at Nuneaton as another back-row man, Ricky Bagier, is also going to Dubai, plus skipper Iain Dixon.

Darlington visit pre-season promotion favourites Bradford and Bingley, who have won six of their seven matches and have games in hand on the four teams above them.

But the Bees struggled to win 24-17 at Hull Ionians last week and will be watching their discipline after having four players sin-binned.

Darlington will also want a disciplined performance as they are again up against an accurate goal-kicker in Tom Rhodes.

Tynedale's Phil Belgian threatened to punish them last week with three first-half penalties, but he failed to reappear because of a broken hand and misses today's match at home to Preston Grasshoppers.

But the speedy Smales brothers, Jack and Hamish, are available, along with scrum half Ed Holmes, whose four-week ban handed out by the club after his dismissal against Kendal was this week deemed sufficient at an RFU hearing.

Durham City have the chance to go top of North Two East if they win their home game against Hartlepool Rovers, rearranged from last week.

West Hartlepool entertain Driffield with Dave Stubbs in attendance for the first time after returning to the coaching role he enjoyed in the club's heyday.

He will be assisted by Paul Burgon and they have opted for an unchanged side after scoring 11 tries in the last two games.

Six of those were against Morpeth, who then thrashed Driffield, so the signs are good for West against a team on the same number of points.

Wearside duo Sunderland and Houghton are the North-East's only survivors in the fourth round of the Junior Vase.

Former Mowden player Tony Irwin returns at No 8 for Sunderland at home to North Ribblesdale, while Houghton visit Yarnbury.