NEWCASTLE Falcons will be without skipper Matt Burke and England centre Jamie Noon for tomorrow night's Guinness Premiership trip to Gloucester.

They are saving the Australian for the Boxing Day visit of Sale Sharks to Kingston Park, and while he waits for his British residency to be rubber-stamped they have opted for former All Black prop Joe McDonnell.

Director of Rugby John Fletcher explained: "We are only allowed to play one foreigner at the moment, which means we have to choose between these two.

"Matt's papers have been with the Home Office for some time and hopefully his British residency will be sorted in January. Joe picks himself really. He was in absolutely outstanding form before the European games."

Noon is expected to be out for a month after limping off with an ankle injury early in last Sunday's win against Montauban.

McDonnell captains a side which also includes South African No 8 Russell Winter and Kiwi lock Mark Sorensen, who both have British passports.

The only time they have played together was in the undistinguished performance in a narrow win at home to what was virtually Harlequins' second string in the EDF Energy Cup.

Since then they have been ineligible for the two European Challenge Cup ties against Montauban as Samoan utility back Loki Crichton was chosen as the wild card signing for that competition.

He was on the bench last Sunday and has to settle for the same again as Anthony Elliott deputises for Burke at full back and Mark Mayerhofler replaces Noon.

On the left wing John Rudd slots in for Tim Visser, while those making way in the pack are prop Jon Golding, No 8 Brent Wilson and lock Andy Perry, who has a calf strain.

Fletcher said: "We have a tough programme over the next couple of weeks against Gloucester, Sale, Harlequins and Leicester. But we're excited by the challenge and most of our best rugby this season has come against the better sides.

"I feel we've turned a corner in the last month, especially in terms of the physicality of the side.

"We matched a very physical Montauban team up front two weeks in a row and we have a bigger squad now with more competition for places, which is vital over this period.

Team: Anthony Elliott, Tom May, Mathew Tait, Mark Mayerhofler, John Rudd, Toby Flood, James Grindal, Joe McDonnell (captain), Matt Thompson, Micky Ward, Mark Sorenson, Jason Oakes, Eni Gesinde, Ben Woods, Russell Winter.