THE absence of Jonny Wilkinson, Mark Andrews and Epi Taione means there will be more big names in the visiting line-up when Newcastle Falcons entertain Montferrand tomorrow.

Although they may not all be fit, seven of the French club's squad played in the World Cup, including their new captain, centre Tony Marsh, and outstanding flanker Olivier Magne.

After being named as Newcastle captain in succession to Wilkinson at the start of the season, Andrews has struggled to make the impact expected from South Africa's most-capped lock and is now injured again.

He has developed a shoulder problem, and with Garath Archer still ruled out by a back injury 24-year-old Craig Hamilton partners fellow Scot Stuart Grimes at lock.

There will be two South Africans in the pack, however, as Warren Britz returns at open side after recovering from a groin injury and Marius Hurter is back at tight head because Ian Peel has a neck problem.

Taione has been dropped to the bench after returning to his old habit of losing the ball in last week's defeat by Harlequins. He is replaced by Jon Dunbar for the first leg of this Parker Pen European Challenge Cup second round tie.

This reduces the chance of Taione coming face to face with Olivier Azam, the former Gloucester hooker who is now with Montferrand.

They were sent off for fighting at Kingsholm two years ago and Azam was later cleared of making a racial remark, which Rob Andrew had hinted was the reason for Taione losing his cool.

"All that's in the past," said Andrew. "Epi is dropped to the bench after last week's performance. It's as simple as that.

"This is the strongest team we can put out in terms of injuries. It's a huge game for us and we intend to win as well as we possibly can to take something back to France for the second leg.

"It's going to be tough and we need to come out strong and get a lot of points on the board against a big team who are on a par with Toulouse and Stade Francais."

Situated in Clermont-Ferrand, Association Sportive Montferrandaise is one of the top multi-sports clubs in France with the emphasis on rugby.

They won the European Shield - the equivalent of this event - in 1999 and reached the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup in 2000 and 2002.

They had a disappointing season last year and have been inconsistent this season, despite a back line which boasts former Australia and Leicester player Pat Howard, plus French internationals Gerald Merceron, Aurelien Rougerie and David Bory, as well as Marsh.

They also have Olivier Brouzet up front.

They beat Italian club Leonessa 55-0 and 58-3 in the first round of this competition and expect a full house of 11,400 for the return leg with Newcastle next week.

Former Leicester and England hooker Richard Cockerill is now with Montferrand, but is out with a fractured elbow, the same injury as the one suffered by Falcons winger Michael Stephenson last week.

He is replaced by Ben Gollings in an otherwise unchanged back division, with Dave Walder continuing at fly half.

There is an outside chance that Wilkinson will return next week.

Darlington field the side which lost 19-3 at Tynedale last week for the visit of National Three North's bottom side, Longton.

After drawing 10-10 on the Stoke-based club's narrow, sloping pitch, Darlington are hoping their own surface will be dry enough to allow an open game.

"They have big forwards, but we hope to run them around more than we did down there and try to create a few gaps," said player-coach Craig Lee.

Tynedale suffered a few injuries last week and take a below-strength team to Kendal, where Darlington will watch the result with interest as they visit the Cumbrians next week.

Darlington Mowden Park are down to the bare bones in the backs for their match at Macclesfield as Dave Richardson suffered a thigh injury in training and the Newcastle Academy boys who played last week are not available.

With Chris Mattison also declining to make himself available after being left out last week, reserve scrum half Chris Machin is on the wing, with Martyn Bray at fly half and Chris Strong at centre alongside Gareth Kerr.

The pack is unchanged after Danny Brown failed a fitness test, and of the four forwards on the bench Jonny Boatman is the most likely to help out in the backs.

The backs will shortly be boosted by the return after injury of Jonny Golightly and James Tyrrell, who would have played in the seconds today had it been possible to find a game.

Blaydon have centre Peter Kilburn back after a month's absence through injury for the trip to Preston Grasshoppers.

Full back David Dalrymple also returns.

* Mowden Park No 8 Tom McLaren, an Australian who played for Blaydon last season, has been named National Three North's Player of the Month for December.

The Coach of the Month award has gone to the Darlington duo of Craig Lee and Phil Lancaster.