NEWCASTLE Falcons are exploring how they can strengthen their links with Darlington Mowden Park to the benefit of both clubs.

Club owner Dave Thompson and Director of Rugby Rob Andrew have put some proposals to Mowden, who will report back next week.

"This has been on the cards for two or three years," said Mowden president Tony Hammond. "Last season we had James Isaacson and Phil Dowson on loan, and Mark Wilkinson played a few games for us. But we have had nothing so far this season.

"If there is to be a stronger link, I don't think it's something we would need to put to the membership. It would be purely a committee decision. We have a meeting next Wednesday when we might have a clearer idea of what's happening."

From the Falcons' point of view, the higher Mowden climb up the leagues the better if they are to help prepare players for Premiership rugby.

Mowden hope to move to new facilities at Faverdale, just off the A1, the season after next and have ambitions to become firmly established as the North-East's second club.

Mowden have no game today and will instead hold a full-scale training session, while Newcastle are at home to Grenoble tomorrow in the Parker Pen European Challenge Cup.

Despite taking a 19-12 lead from the away leg last week, Falcons are taking nothing for granted as they attempt to book a second round tie against Castres or Treviso.

Jonny Wilkinson, the only Newcastle player in the 33-man England squad, will play and Epi Taione returns on the wing.

The Tongan powerhouse has missed the last few games through a knee injury after losing his back-row place largely because of giving the ball away too often.

Andrew insists that Taione's return to his original position on the wing is not necessarily a permanent move and the coaching staff will keep working on his back-row skills.

There is no place for Mark Wilkinson as Liam Botham reverts to full back and Jamie Noon and Tom May form the centre partnership.

With Ian Peel ruled out by a back injury, Micky Ward and Marius Hurter are at prop, while Hugh Vyvyan has another outing at No 8 with Craig Hamilton continuing at lock.

As it is also a Powergen Cup weekend, several North-East teams are without a game, although Middlesbrough and Darlington have arranged a friendly at Acklam Park.

Darlington hand a debut to Tosh McIntee, from Redcar, at centre alongside Dave Haswell, while Richie Parker will be in the back row after a good performance for the Development XV in a 15-5 win against the ITC Training Corps from Catterick.

Prop Dave Inman, who also did well in that match, will be on the bench along with Bryan Dixon and Craig Lee.

Lee and Phil Lancaster have recovered from injury, and Lancaster is in the team in place of Dan Miller, whose performances for Bath have earned him a call-up for the South West Under-21s.

Kieron Thompson remains at full back, Marc Potts gets a chance on the win, and Rob Stewart and David Andrew will play a half each at scrum half.

While Blaydon and Tynedale are both at home in National Three North, against Liverpool St Helens and Hull Ionians respectively, the only other North-East team on league duty are West Hartlepool.

After four defeats in four games, one of them at home to third-bottom Driffield, things are already looking bleak for West in North One, and they are away today to Cleckheaton, who won 22-20 at Darlington last week.

The most interesting matches in the Powergen Intermediate Cup are Barnard Castle v Durham City and Horden v West Hartlepool TDSOB.

With one point from five games in Durham and Northumberland One, City will be keen to gain their first win of the season against a club who are in mid-table a division below them.

* Middlesbrough have two players, fly half Neil Baggett and prop Neil Rhys-Davies, in the Yorkshire Under-18 Clubs team to play Durham at Billingham tomorrow (2pm).

Durham have so far lost 17-7 to Cumbria at Carlisle and 40-0 to Cheshire at Lymm.