SKIPPER Doddie Weir is back but fellow Scot George Graham remains on the bench as Newcastle Falcons begin a hectic period with a trip to Bristol tomorrow.

The return Premiership fixture at Kingston Park has been put back from Boxing Day to Wednesday, December 27 and inbetween the Falcons visit another South-West club, Gloucester, next Saturday.

There's a home match against Harlequins on New Year's Eve followed by the visit of Sale in the Tetley's Bitter Cup the following Saturday, then the decisive match in the European Shield at home to Benetton Treviso on January 14.

They are all big games if Newcastle are to continue to fight for honours on three fronts and Rob Andrew knows he will have to rotate his squad.

Despite his outstanding performance in the cup quarter-final win against London Irish last Sunday, it's Hugh Vyvyan's turn to rest to make way for Weir.

The Falcons won comfortably enough in the end against the Irish and there was no need for Graham to come off the bench. But he may well be needed against a Bristol side who lived with Newcastle for most of their cup fifth round tie last month.

It was only in the last ten minutes that a home win was clinched through tries by Gary Armstrong and Andrew Mower, and Falcons' former player-coach Dean Ryan felt an "unbelievable" refereeing decision had turned the game.

With three North-Easterners in his team - full back Lee Best, winger David Rees and lock Garath Archer - Ryan will have his men fired up for revenge.

While it will not have been easy for Andrew to admit that he made a mistake in signing John Leslie, privately he will be grateful to have off-loaded the heavy wage bill for an over-rated player, who now has to live up to his reputation at Northampton.

Jamie Noon is again missing from Andrew's preferred centre pairing because of his ankle injury, but he will be back in training next week.

Liam Botham continues alongside Tom May, having performed more than adequately last Sunday, and if necessary Andrew would have brought in David Walder and shifted Jonny Wilkinson to centre rather than play Leslie.

Epi Taione stays on the right wing after replacing the unfortunate Gareth Maclure seven minutes into the cup tie.

A scan on Maclure's neck injury has revealed no serious damage, but it is too early to tell how long he will be sidelined.

Darlington Mowden Park have sent their congratulations to Ross Jennings after his two tries helped Oxford win the Varsity match on Tuesday.

The classy centre watched his former team-mates in the unlucky Tetley's Bitter Cup defeat at Birmingham and Solihull and expressed an interest in playing for them after Christmas.

Mowden are waiting for him to make contact, meanwhile Scott Thompson comes in at centre for today's match at Stockton in place of the injured Matt Howland.

Mick Kent drops to the bench to allow Steve Jones to start and Jonathan Golightly makes his debut at fly half alongside Durham University's Will Green.

Player-coach Kevan Oliphant wants to take the chance to run the rule over his team from the sidelines, while scrum half Phil Harvey has a shoulder injury.

With Green's availability uncertain over Christmas, it is hoped Harvey will be back for the rearranged match at Driffield next week.

Giles Mitchell continues at open side, with Shaun Cassidy again on the bench, and Ian James deputises for unavailable lock Steve Sanderson.

Darlington recall skipper David Andrew for the visit of Alnwick, with Robbie Stewart on the bench alongside Phil Lancaster and Neil Burnside, who makes way for the return of Mark Turnbull.

David Glendenning returns at full back and with Nick Gregory unavailable Craig Lee stays at fly half, while Marc Potts replaces injured winger Lee Bowman.

Blaydon have arranged to play their delayed county cup tie against Hartlepool Rovers on December 30.

l England captain Martin Johnson will find himself under a disciplinary microscope when Premiership leaders Leicester tackle Bath at Welford Road today.

The Leicester captain returns to action five days after being cited for two alleged acts of foul play by Tigers' Tetley's Bitter Cup quarter-final opponents Saracens.

Johnson will face a charge that he kneed Saracens fly-half Duncan McRae, causing the Australian a fractured rib.

An RFU disciplinary panel, set to convene at Twickenham this month, must also debate an alleged off-the-ball incident involving Johnson and Saracens prop Julian White.

If Johnson is banned then he could struggle to make the start of England's Six Nations Championship campaign against Wales in Cardiff on February 3, while missing vital fixtures for his club.

But Leicester boss Dean Richards is backing the 1997 British Lions captain to cope with recent developments.

''Martin is mature enough to deal with this type of situation,'' said Richards.

But the former England No 8 also admitted: ''It would be hard to get by without him.''

Leicester, six points clear of second-placed Wasps as they chase a Premiership title hat-trick, should encounter few problems against an erratic Bath outfit.

Bath have not won away from home since stealing a one-point verdict at Gloucester on September 9.

''It is a very daunting task, because Leicester have that winning mentality,'' conceded Bath fly-half Mike Catt.

''We want to go up there and spoil their party but we will have to be right on top of our game to do it.''

England hooker Phil Greening will be missing when Wasps visit the Madejski Stadium for an appointment with London Irish.

Greening has undergone finger surgery - a legacy of England's stirring victory over South Africa two weeks ago - but philosophical Wasps rugby director Nigel Melville said: ''You learn to live with injuries.''

Just six points separate Wasps and Sale, in eighth, and Melville added: ''There is an intensive spell of games ahead, and having got ourselves into a good league position we want to make the most of that opportunity.'