NEWCASTLE Falcons have made three changes to their side for tonight's game against Bath - as the Premiership side look to ensure they don't go a full season without a home win.

Full-back Louis Brown, lock Tim Cardall and centre Cameron Hutchison all come in for the 7.45pm kick-off at Kingston Park as the Falcons play their final home game of the 2023-24 campaign.

Having ran Sale Sharks close for much of their last outing, consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond is keen to channel that progress for the full duration, saying: “We were in the arm-wrestle for 60-odd minutes and lost it through a few errors and a little bit of indiscipline.

“I was reasonably pleased with the overall performance, though, and the scoreline probably flattered Sale a little bit in the end. We put a few things to bed following the Bristol game, and despite still not getting the win I actually thought the squad responded really well."

Keen to nail down a first league victory of the campaign, Diamond added: “Nobody wants the record of going through the entire season without a league win.

“If it does happen, we’ll not cry about it. We’ll take our medicine and ensure it never happens again, and it takes a bit of time to alter the course of an oil tanker. But yeah, a win is important, especially for the supporters and sponsors who have given us such great backing throughout the year, and Semore Kurdi, who has been a fantastic owner here for a very long time.

“For some of our guys it will be their last game at home for the club, and as a group it’s their final home game together. They’ll want to do it for each other as much as anything else, and that can be quite powerful motivation in its own right."

Asked about his summer recruitment with six new faces already through the door, Diamond said: “The squad that we’ll have next season will make us much more competitive in the Premiership, which is no disrespect to any of the lads who are leaving us.

"We’re rebooting everything here – academy, medical, coaching, playing. Everyone is getting to know what their job is and what they’re accountable for, and there are loads of talented, committed people here who are determined to make it work.”

Falcons:

15 Louis Brown, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Cameron Hutchison, 11 Ben Redshaw, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 Tim Cardall, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 6 Sam Cross, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Callum Chick (captain).

Replacements: 16 Bryan Byrne, 17 Mark Dormer, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 John Hawkins, 20 Freddie Lockwood, 21 James Elliott, 22 Rory Jennings, 23 Oli Spencer.