NEWCASTLE Falcons will allow Jonny Wilkinson to concentrate on his own game while Colin Charvis captains the side against London Irish at Kingston Park today.

Although he came off the bench at Northampton two weeks ago, Wilkinson is making his first start since breaking down on his last comeback in mid-March.

He is officially joint club captain with prop Ian Peel, who is still out with a back problem, but Director of Rugby Rob Andrew said: "Colin did a tremendous job of being captain at Northampton.

"He is a natural leader and with Jonny making his comeback we felt it might be best just to leave him to get on with his game rather than adding the burden of captaincy.

"He's fit and can't wait to play in front of the Newcastle fans for the first time for a while. We look forward to him being part of a good team performance, hopefully followed by a wild card semi and final."

Whether Wilkinson needs those extra Heineken Cup wild card matches to book his place on the Lions tour is down to Sir Clive Woodward. But first the Falcons need at least a point today to ensure they don't slip below their current seventh place.

If all results went against them they could finish next to the bottom, but a win could see them move above Gloucester if the Kingsholm men lose to Saracens.

In that event Newcastle would have a home semi-final against Gloucester next weekend.

There is even more at stake for London Irish, who are one place below Newcastle but still have a mathematical chance of being relegated, while a win with a four-try bonus point could earn them a play-off place.

The Falcons have drawn one and lost five of their last six Premiership games, prompting Andrew's recent signings.

Apart from Australian back row man Owen Finegan, who arrives this summer, two forwards are coming from Plymouth Albion in prop Tino Paoletti and 19st lock Andy Perry, an ex-Marine.

"We have been light in the forwards for two years, but we have added some serious bulk and these players will give us a more physical approach," said Andrew.

"We have progressed this year, but we have come unstuck since Christmas and while we have had atrocious luck with injuries we also realise we have lacked a bit of physicality at times.

"We knew we needed bolstering and we think we have done it in the right areas given all the restraints of player availability and salary caps."

Andrew also revealed that he has been on the trail of his other signing, Stockton-born winger Anthony Elliott, for four years.

"We nearly had him two years ago when he went to Sale," he said. "He was up against Steve Hanley and Mark Cueto there, which limited his chances.

"He's very quick and big and can also play at full back. We believe we can give him the opportunity to show what he can do."

Elliott could take the place vacated by Michael Stephenson, whose broken leg could keep him for most of next season but whose contract is not being renewed as he had agreed to join Bath.

Epi Taione is also leaving, probably for Sale, while Samoan back row man Semo Sititi is also negotiating a move to another club.

Mathew Tait takes Stephenson's place on the left wing today, while full back Matt Burke, scrum half Hall Charlton and prop Micky Ward all return. Galo Alvares Quinones is the other prop, but he will not be staying beyond the end of the season.

l Darlington are now resigned to playing the Durham Cup final against Westoe on June 1, as controversially decided by the county committee three weeks ago.

The county's three National Three North clubs were all opposed to the idea and Blaydon fielded a second team in their semi-final against Darlington in the hope that the final could have been played last Wednesday.

But the other semi-final did not go ahead until then, and while Westoe have finished their programme Darlington have to visit Halifax today then have 11 players involved in county squads.

That includes lock Richard Snowball, who has opted to play for Yorkshire in the County Championship proper, which involves the top eight counties.

Durham are among the next eight contesting the County Shield, while the remaining 12 are in the County Plate. All three events have finals at Twickenham on May 28, and there is promotion and relegation.

As a product of Richmond School, Snowball has come up through the Yorkshire age groups and, if selected, will kick off against Northumberland next Saturday at Harrogate at 3.30. The ground is also hosting Yorkshire Under 20s' semi-final against Gloucestershire at 1pm, in which Snowball's clubmate, Lee Davies, will be involved.

Durham's opening match against Oxfordshire at Gateshead will kick off at 12.30 to accommodate the visitors' plans to fly to and from Teesside Airport.

The Durham squad will train at 10am on Monday at Darlington, but they are still not sure how many Mowden Park players are prepared to commit themselves.

Hooker Dan Oselton is fit for Darlington today following an injury last week which put his appearance in the British Universities final at Twickenham in jeopardy.

However, he was able to go off the bench for the final 20 minutes of Hartbury College's narrow defeat by Loughborough on Wednesday.

With Del Lewis and David Glendenning unavailable, Joe Naga returns to the back row and David Kell switches to full back with Fraser Monohan on the wing.

Mowden finish their programme at home to Fylde, while Durham City hope to clinch promotion to North Two East in their home play-off Yorkshire One runners-up Wheatley Hills, from Doncaster.