GREG PETERSON returns from international duty as Newcastle Falcons prepare to host Bristol Bears in the Gallagher Premiership tomorrow afternoon.

The USA Eagle has missed Falcons’ last two matches due to Rugby World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay, but returns in a Newcastle side showing five changes from the one which took the field at Saracens last weekend.

Fellow lock George Merrick makes his competitive Falcons debut following his summer move from Worcester Warriors, with the only other change to the pack seeing Carl Fearns returning at number eight after scoring in Falcons’ last home game – an 18-14 victory against Wasps.

Winger Mateo Carreras makes his first appearance of the season having returned from international duty, the 21-year-old winning his first two caps for Argentina against Australia in the Rugby Championship.

Centre Max Wright comes in for his Falcons debut after joining on a three-month loan from Bath, while England hooker Jamie Blamire will make his 50th appearance should the 23-year-old Cumbrian be called upon from the bench.

Bristol started the season as one of the title favourites, but have lost three of their opening four league games.,

"Bristol finished top of the table last season and play a really exciting brand of rugby with a host of international superstars in their side, so they’ll be disappointed with the start they’ve made," said Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards. "They’ll be hurting from last weekend’s defeat at Harlequins, and be wanting to make a statement.

“They play an expansive game, they have a huge threat around the base of the ruck and they’ve got a lively scrum-half. You have to respect the ability in their back row, and they’ve also got quality in their backline.”

Confident that his Newcastle side can lower their penalty count following last weekend’s loss at Saracens, the Falcons boss added: “We’re hungrier than ever, we’ll learn from our mistakes and we certainly can’t be giving away 20 penalties in a game.

“Our discipline has actually been pretty good over the last few years, so we’re disappointed to have slipped the way we did. It won’t be an issue going forward, it was just unfortunate that a blip like that cost us dear.

“We can sit there and say we deserved something from the game, but there are no gifts in sport and you have to earn everything."