NEWCASTLE will begin life after Jonny Wilkinson next season with a New Zealander in the No. 10 shirt.

England star Wilkinson’s departure to big-spending French club Toulon is expected to be confirmed in the next fortnight.

The Falcons, meanwhile, have moved to sign fly-half Jimmy Gopperth from Auckland- based Super 14 side the Blues on a three-year contract.

Gopperth, 25, has previously played for the Junior All Blacks, helping them win the Pacific Nations Cup.

He is a former Wellington Hurricanes player, starring in the Air New Zealand Cup for Wellington and North Harbour, and he was part of the New Zealand side that won the Under-21 World Cup in 2004.

Newcastle rugby director Steve Bates said: ‘‘Jimmy is an outstanding talent who has excelled at Super 14 level, and has the ability to really steer this team forward.

‘‘We have been watching him closely for a number of months now, and have been impressed every time he has played.

‘‘Jimmy is a fantastic goalkicker who links well, scores tries and leads the back-line in a very expert manner with his tactical kicking.

‘‘There is quality about everything he does, he is at just the right age and having captained North Harbour last season, he has also developed the sort of leadership credentials which will be vital for us as a team.”

■ Durham are relying on most of the players who took them into the bottom tier of the County Championship to lift them back out when they begin their campaign against Notts, Lincs and Derby at Gateshead Fell today (3pm).

Westoe prop Gareth Nesbit is again the captain and there are seven university players in the side, including all the back five in the pack.

Blaydon and Mowden Park players are unavailable because of rearranged club matches. After scoring two tries at Nuneaton last week Adam Mackenzie misses Mowden’s final home game in National Three North against Preston Grasshoppers, so Jason Elliott comes in on the wing. Yorkshire Under-20s player Kieran Dannatt replaces Andy Wilson at blind side. Blaydon complete their National Two programme with a trip to Stourbridge.

Durham: I Dixon (West Hartlepool), G Haswell (Westoe), D Astle (Durham Univ), D Haswell (Westoe), M Horrocks (Tynedale), M Gupta (Durham Univ & London Irish), A Foreman (Hartlepool Rovers), G Nesbit (capt, Westoe), A Dixon (West Hartlepool), R Elliott (Westoe), J Thomas, R Boyle, A Waddingham, L Calder, P Eggleshaw (all Durham Univ). Replacements: T Walford, D Madden (Durham University, J Cushlow, G Foreman (Hartlepool Rovers), M Dixon (Billingham), S Moore (Middlesbrough), D Tate (Gateshead).