WITH Jonny Wilkinson still unfit, Newcastle Falcons will rely on the same personnel tomorrow to apply a more impressive finish to the job they started against Montferrand last Sunday.

They take a 10-3 lead into the second leg of their Parker Pen European Challenge Cup tie in France, where the hosts are expected to recall some of their international backs.

Montferrand included only Australian Pat Howard at Kingston Park as they concentrated on defence, but the need to attack on their home pitch is likely to bring Gerald Merceron and Aurelien Rougerie into the action.

With the two legs of the quarter-finals coming up over the next two weeks, Newcastle will be left with a blank fortnight if they fail to hang on to their lead.

That would leave Wilkinson with just the Zurich Premiership match at Gloucester on February 7 to prove his fitness for the opening Six Nations match against Italy in Rome the following week.

It would also leave the Falcons without a home match for five weeks.

The England fly half has played only 50 minutes' rugby since the World Cup, when his shoulder problem resurfaced in making a tackle against Northampton on December 28.

A small stress fracture had been diagnosed two weeks earlier, and although Newcastle deny that they brought him back too early they are now clearly making sure that he is fully recovered before he plays again.

Although it is always a difficult task, Newcastle have won in this competition in France before and Director of Rugby Rob Andrew said: "We have risen to the occasion in the past and we can do it again.

"Whatever the score was at home it was always going to be a new experience this week. We have had some tough games in France and there's no reason why we can't win."

Mark Andrews and Garath Archer are both still unfit, so Craig Hamilton continues at lock and the only change from last week's starting line-up is Nick Makin at hooker for Matt Thompson.

Doubts remain about the fitness of Thompson, prop Ian Peel and scrum half Hall Charlton.