Preview: Newcastle v Wasps

Newcastle captain Carl Hayman makes his farewell appearance on Saturday at Kingston Park, as the Falcons host London Wasps.

Newcastle captain Carl Hayman makes his farewell appearance on Saturday at Kingston Park, as the Falcons host London Wasps in the final match of their Guinness Premiership season.

The All Black packs down at tighthead for one last time in front of his North-East fans, as he skippers the Falcons in their first match under the stewardship of newly-appointed coach Alan Tait.

In all there are three personnel changes from the side which beat Sale Sharks 32-30 in their last outing two weeks ago, with Hayman's return from a back injury being one of them as he takes the place of Kieran Brookes.

Elsewhere in the front row Micky Ward starts at loose head in place of Grant Shiells, while the only other change sees Rob Vickerman in for Charlie Amesbury, who last week underwent a hernia operation. Vickerman's introduction sees Gcobani Bobo move one place out to the left wing, with Vickerman slotting in to the centres.

Speaking before the game, head coach Alan Tait said: “Everybody knows this has been a busy week for the club, but the players have just got on with their jobs as normal and there certainly won't be any excuses.

“We're determined to finish the season on a high, and to give our supporters some positive memories to take away with them over the summer as we look to build for next season.”

With Hayman playing his last game for the club having joined the Falcons in December 2007, Tait said: “It's a great chance for Carl to say goodbye to the fans, and for our supporters to show their thanks for what he has done for this club.

“Carl is undoubtedly a world class player who has made a big contribution here, both in terms of his own efforts on the field but equally in terms of developing the other talented props we have here at the club. Likewise we have a number of other players leaving us at the end of the season, like Mark Sorenson, Tom Biggs, Adam Balding and Rob Miller to name a few, and I'm sure our fans will show their appreciation for those guys too.”

Turning to the game itself, Tait said: “Thankfully there's nothing riding on it in terms of the relegation scenario after our win down at Sale, but there's still plenty to play for in terms of our home supporters and really setting a benchmark for next season.

“Wasps are still in with a shout of the play-offs if they win and other results go their way, so they will definitely be pumped up for it. We've already beaten them once this season, the lads will want to prove that it was no fluke and I'm expecting a massive effort from them on Saturday to end the season on a strong note.”

Meanwhile, Wasps Director of Rugby, Tony Hanks has made five changes to the side that narrowly missed out on a place in the Amlin Challenge Cup Final after a tough battle with Cardiff Blues at Adams Park.

Danny Cipriani comes back into the starting line up at full-back and Tom Varndell starts on the wing. Cipriani and Varndell replace Mark Van Gisbergen and David Lemi who are both named on the bench.

In the pack, Dan Ward-Smith forges a second-row partnership with George Skivington, replacing Simon Shaw who is unavailable for selection due to sickness. Serge Betsen and John Hart join Tom Rees in the back row.

Betsen comes in for Joe Worsley who sustained a bicep hematoma against the Blues and Hart comes in for Ward-Smith.

On the bench scrum-half James Honeyben, who returns from an ankle injury, and Dan Leo are both named. Steve Kefu is unavailable for selection following the birth of his daughter this week.

Looking ahead to the game that could give the men in black and gold a route to the semi finals should they secure victory over Falcons and Leeds beat Bath, Hanks said, “This game is hugely important for the team. All eyes are on the top four, as are ours, and whilst other results will determine that fourth spot, our focus is very much on our performance and the result. We have a lot of respect for Newcastle and a lot to prove in this game after they took the win at Adams Park earlier in the year.

“The league has shown itself to be more competitive than ever and there have been a number of teams that have been in that 'box seat' for the last semi final place over the last few weeks. We know more than anyone else that Leeds are a side that should not be underestimated so there is still a lot to play for and our focus is the win at Newcastle.

“Both Simon Shaw and Joe Worsley are top quality international players and hugely valuable squad members to lose. They are disappointed not to be able to take to the pitch, especially given the stage in the season and on the back of the Cardiff game, but this squad has overcome the impact of injuries throughout the season and they are very focused on the challenge ahead.”

Form: Newcastle Falcons ensured their survival in the Guinness Premiership when their thrilling 32-30 victory at Sale last time out was followed by Worcester's defeat at Leeds. The Falcons' only victory in their last six games at Kingston Park in all competitions was 25-23 over Gloucester in the Premiership on 31 March. London Wasps must win this match to give themselves any chance of overhauling Bath for the 4th place finish in the Guinness Premiership. Wasps won 24-20 at Worcester in their most recent away encounter to end a three game losing run on the road. Newcastle's only victory over Wasps in their last eight meetings in all competitions was 12-6 at Adams Park in the Guinness Premiership on 3 January. The Falcons have never managed a league double over the Londoners in the same season.

The teams:

Newcastle: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Danny Williams, 13 Rob Vickerman, 12 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 11 Gcobani Bobo, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Micky Young, 8 Josh Afu, 7 Brent Wilson, 6 Filipo Levi, 5 Tim Swinson, 4 James Hudson, 3 Carl Hayman (c), 2 Rob Vickers, 1 Micky Ward.
Replacements:16 Matt Thompson, 17 Kieran Brookes, 18 Grant Shiells, 19 Mark Sorenson, 20 Will Welch, 21 Hall Charlton, 22 Tom Catterick, 23 Spencer Davey .

Wasps: 15 Danny Cipriani, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Ben Jacobs, 12 Dom Waldouck, 11 Tom Varndell, 10 Dave Walder, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 John Hart, 7 Tom Rees (c), 6 Serge Betsen, 5 George Skivington, 4 Dan Ward-Smith, 3 Phil Vickery, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Tim Payne.
Replacements: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 Zak Taulafo, 18 Ben Broster, 19 Dan Leo, 20 Will Matthews, 21 James Honeyben, 22 David Lemi, 23 Mark Van Gisbergen.

Date: Saturday, May 8
Kick-off: 15.00 BST
Venue: Kingston Park