Wilson is back as the Falcons make changes

ENGLAND flanker Mark Wilson is among the returning stars for Newcastle Falcons as they prepare to host Edinburgh in tomorrow’s Heineken Champions Cup clash at Kingston Park Stadium (kick-off 3.15).

Wilson comes into a side showing 11 changes from last weekend’s meeting between the two sides, wingers Vereniki Goneva and Sinoti also returning in a team captained by fly-half Toby Flood.

Johnny Williams comes into the centres behind a pack which sees Kyle Cooper and Trevor Davison added to the front row, Calum Green returning at lock in front of a freshened-up back row which sees the return of Wilson, Nemani Nagusa and Edinburgh old boy John Hardie.

Bolstered by the availability of two fit tight-heads following last week’s shortage, director of rugby Dean Richards said: “We have come through last weekend’s game, we did not get the result we wanted and the scrum played a large part in that - but that is life and you move on from it.

“Hopefully there will be a review of how that kind of situation is dealt with but that would have to be at the end of the season now.

“If they are not going to change it for us then they cannot really do it for anyone else.

“We have had a lot of serious injuries in key positions but I am not going to complain because all teams suffer injuries and I think the guys who have come in have actually done very well.

“We knew last week was going to be hard because we had so many boys carrying bumps and bruises, which meant we could not field them.

“Sunday is slightly different because they have been given that recovery time they needed and it isa slightly different team.

“That is not taking anything away from the boys who played last week because I thought a lot of them played well.

“The loss of power in the scrum was a factor but we are not in the business of making excuses - we just have to turn it up a bit this week and get a positive outcome.”