ADAM RADWAN and Matias Moroni come in for Newcastle Falcons tomorrow afternoon when they host Gallagher Premiership champions Leicester Tigers at Kingston Park.

Radwan starts on the right wing, with Moroni lining up against the club for whom he started in last season’s victorious Premiership final.

He partners fellow Argentina international Matias Orlando, re-forming the same midfield pairing which started in Los Pumas’ historic test victory away to New Zealand at the start of the season.

Tom Penny continues to captain Falcons but switches from centre to full-back, having scored two tries away to Northampton the last time he played with number 15 on his back.

Brett Connon is at fly-half after missing just one kick at goal in his last five league outings, with Falcons aiming to push on from their last home game, a 20-14 triumph against high-flying Sale Sharks on December 23.

“Statistically, the games Leicester have won and lost have been defined by the territorial battle and the gain line, and we’ve spoken about that," said Falcons head coach Dave Walder. “Last week, Sale Sharks gave a pretty good example of how you need to play against them – Sale were outstanding in what they did – but we know Leicester will be a wounded animal from that. We’ve got a good idea of what we need to do, the key is going to be are we able to execute it?”

With Newcastle scoring more first-phase tries this season than most teams in the division, Walder said: “Last year, we scored more tries from counter-attack, and it seems like sides have taken notice of that and given us more line-outs, so we’re now starting to see more line-out scores.

“A lot of our first-phase tries have been scored from our maul, which Micky Ward and Scott MacLeod have got well-drilled, and it also creates opportunities around it when defenders get sucked in.

“We’re always looking at ways to score more tries and we’re conscious of the need to do that – whether it’s from one phase or from 27. We’re always looking at ways to get the ball into the hands of runners like Mateo Carreras and Adam Radwan, and our outside backs are absolutely lethal when we get them good ball.

“I hate using the word ‘brave’, because moving the ball wide isn’t brave if that’s where the space is.

“That’s just smart rugby, and part of our problem this season has been that we’re moving the ball to the space probably a phase later than we should have been. So the ball is getting there, but we’re up against a more organised defensive line with plenty of numbers, and we just need to be sharper."