Newcastle v Bath

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP
Venue: Kingston Park Date: Saturday 30 April Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Somerset, BBC Radio Bristol and the BBC Sport website

Newcastle’s battle against relegation from the Premiership is boosted by the return of skipper James Hudson after three games out with a knee injury.

Winger Gcobani Bobo and scrum-half Micky Young also return as Newcastle and Bath meet for the first of two games in eight days.

Bath are predictably unchanged from the team that crushed Wasps 43-10 at Twickenham last Saturday.

England flanker Lewis Moody continues his comeback from injury.

Jacques Boussuge gains another start on the wing, while Sam Vesty retains the number 10 shirt ahead of Butch James.

A five-point win would keep Newcastle up and send Leeds down.

But they are up against a Bath side who won last season’s corresponding fixture, 17-13.

They also beat the Falcons 11-6 at the Rec in Janaury and have won their last three matches to keep alive their hopes of a top four finish.

Newcastle coach Alan Tait:

“We are not going to settle for a bonus point on Saturday, because we go into every game trying to win. It is all about points, and it might come down to a single one.

“I’m not going to say we are there yet. There’s no chance of that until it’s mathematically certain. As a coach you’d love to think you are safe, but you can never have that luxury in this game.

“Whatever happens this weekend there is always a mathematical chance for Leeds, and we have to keep battling away until the end.”

Bath coach Brad Davis told BBC Somerset:

“We know we’re in a situation in the Premiership now where it’s win or bust.

“Not only are Heineken Cup places at stake but there’s a chance, albeit quite slim, that we can still make the top four.

“Wasps was a game we can really grab on to, not only for the remainder of this season but as a benchmark for next season as well. There were a lot of positives.

“Newcastle will be a different spectacle to Twickenham but nonetheless just as intriguing. They’ll be dogged in their determination to stay safe in the Premiership.”

Newcastle: Tait; Fielden, Vickerman, Tuipulotu, Bobo; Gopperth, Young; Golding, Thompson, Murray; Hudson, van der Heijden; Swinson, Welch, Hogg.

Replacements: Vickers, Shiells, Brookes, Wilson, Gray, Pilgrim, Fitzpatrick, Manning.

Bath: Abendanon; Boussuge, Carraro, Banahan, Biggs; Vesty, Claassens; Flatman, Mears, Wilson; Fernandez Lobbe, Grewcock; Skirving, Moody, Taylor.

Replacements: Batty, Catt, Bell, Ovens, Mercer, McMillan, James, Scott.