Nick Robinson starts at fly-half for Gloucester © Getty Images

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Matches: Newcastle Falcons 25 - 13 Gloucester Rugby

Tournaments/Tours: Guinness Premiership

Teams: England | Gloucester Rugby | Newcastle Falcons

Newcastle open the doors of Kingston Park to Gloucester on Wednesday night and the Falcons will be desperate to pick up the points as they look to pull clear of the Guinness Premiership relegation scrap.

Having been hammered 58-15 by play-off chasing Saracens at Vicarage Road on Sunday Newcastle are in desperate need of a lift but have a tough task ahead with three games in six days. They are hovering three points above bottom-placed Worcester and one clear of Sale and Leeds in 10th and 11th.

Gloucester had fly-half Nick Robinson to thank for their 19-0 victory over Leeds at the weekend and have been forced to juggle their squad for this rearranged round 13 fixture. Mike Tindall and Tim Molenaar are ruled out through injury, meaning that James Simpson-Daniel shifts from wing to outside-centre in order to partner Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu. Charlie Sharples takes his place out wide.

Dave Attwood and Alex Brown form a new-look second-row while the Melbourne Rebels-bound Gareth Delve is replaced by Adam Eustace at No.8.

Tom Biggs starts on the wing for Newcastle following a groin injury to Charlie Amesbury while in the pack Filipo Levi moves to the second-row alongside Mark Sorenson. In the back-row, Brent Wilson starts in the No.6 jersey, Ed Williamson at openside and Josh Afu at No.8.

"We have mixed things up a bit following Sunday's disappointing result at Saracens," Falcons director of rugby Steve Bates said. "Although we have had very little in the way of preparation time the boys are all keen to get back out there and put the record straight after letting ourselves down last weekend.

"Gloucester are in virtually the same situation time-wise having played on Saturday, and it's down to us to get on with it and put in a big home performance in what we all know is a vital match for us given how tight it is around the bottom part of the table."

Newcastle: Alex Tait; Danny Williams, Gcobani Bobo, Tane Tu'ipulotu, Tom Biggs; Jimmy Gopperth, Micky Young; Jon Golding, Rob Vickers, Carl Hayman (capt), Filipo Levi, Mark Sorenson, Brent Wilson, Ed Williamson, Josh Afu

Replacements: Alex Walker, Micky Ward, Grant Shiells, James Hudson, Tim Swinson, Chris Pilgrim, Tom Catterick, Rob Vickerman

Gloucester: Freddie Burns: Charlie Sharples; James Simpson-Daniel, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, Lesley Vainikolo; Nicky Robinson, Rory Lawson; Nick Wood, Scott Lawson, Pierre Capdevielle; Dave Attwood, Alex Brown; Peter Buxton (capt), Akapusi Qera, Adam Eustace

Replacements: Darren Dawidiuk, Alasdair Dickinson, Rupert Harden, Marco Bortolami, Apo Satala, Andy Williams, Tim Taylor, Jonny May