NEWCASTLE Falcons will have their third captain of the season when former All Blacks centre Mark Mayerhofler leads them in today's Zurich Premiership match away to leaders Bath.

Official captain Mark Andrews is in the starting line-up, but he wants to concentrate on his own game as he continues his comeback from suspension and injury.

Hugh Vyvyan has led the Falcons during Andrews' absence, but he is one of four Newcastle players on the bench at Twickenham today.

He is joined by utility back Ben Gollings on the England side, while Marius Hurter and Epi Taione have been drafted in to bolster the replacements for the New Zealand Barbarians.

It was originally agreed that no club would have to supply more than three players for the match, but while Leicester's Dean Richards has hit out at the disruption, Newcastle's Rob Andrew said: "You have to carry a squad these days which can handle injuries and international calls and we are comfortable with that."

Bath are supplying prop Matt Stevens and lock Danny Grewcock to the England team, with centre Mike Tindall on the bench.

One area where Newcastle's strength in depth has not been diminished is second row and Andrews is likely to make way in the second half for Garath Archer to play alongside Stuart Grimes.

The back row is hardest hit with Andrew Mower injured and Vyvyan and Taione at Twickenham, so Warren Britz will be at No 8 flanked by Jon Dunbar and Phil Dowson.

It will be a rare 15-a-side outing for Dowson among all his England Sevens commitments. The 22-year-old Sedbergh School product went off the bench to score the winning try when the Falcons won 19-17 at home to Bath on October 25 and will be keen to seize this chance to further his growing reputation.

Mayerhofler sat out the European Challenge Cup matches against Valladolid and returns at the expense of Mark Wilkinson. Dave Walder stays at fly half with Joe Shaw at full back, and Scotland squad newcomer Phil Godman provides cover on the bench.

With so much talent available to the Falcons, and Jonny Wilkinson hoping to return shortly, Darlington Mowden Park might wonder why they need to hang on to centre Martin Shaw.

Although he played at Valladolid, Shaw seems to have been left high and dry since being recalled from Mowden last month.

Mowden will start today's match at Tynedale (2pm) with the same centres as last week, Martyn Bray and Gareth Kerr, although neither of them finished the game against Kendal.

There is a doubt about winger Andy Foreman, who will have a rigorous fitness test on a groin problem before the match with Chris Mattison standing by.

Dave Richardson returns on the other wing after injuring a knee in the warm-up last week, and Richard Holbrough is restored at scrum half, while Tasi Tuhana rejoins Ian Keeligan and Dave Sinclair in the front row.

It was hoped that in view of Danny Brown's injury a Newcastle Academy prop might have been available for the bench, but it looks as though head coach Stuart Whitehead will have to do the job instead.

Luke Monument, who will be available for the next few weeks, is also on the bench.

Tynedale have a doubt about Scotland Sevens player Jamie Murray, who scored a decisive individual try in the win at Blaydon last week.

If he fails to recover from an ankle injury his brother Andrew will switch to No 8 with Steve Turnbull coming in at lock.

Andrew Carphin has flown back from Ireland to play at blind side for Darlington at home to Blaydon (3pm).

After starring as a replacement in the win against Tynedale two weeks ago, he missed last week's defeat at Halifax but now replaces Matt Dilworth, who pulled up in training on Thursday.

Richard Lang stays at full back with Craig Lee again at fly half, while his fellow coach Phil Lancaster is on the bench for the first time for several weeks, along with Dan Oselton.

Lancaster had to go on at half-time in the opening match of the season at Blaydon, who have two powerful props in Dan Harper and Paul Winter.

Joe Oselton has returned since then, however, and after improving their fitness and coming to terms with the higher level, Darlington should have a better chance of matching the Blaydon forwards.

The visiting pack have usually dominated opponents this season, but have recently struggled to score tries.