STEVE Bates will hand 19-year-old flanker Will Welch a Guinness Premiership debut at Bath today after admitting this month’s Challenge Cup double over Petrarca Padova and Albi had given him food for thought ahead of a return to domestic action.

Welch appeared in both games, and scored his maiden senior try in last weekend’s 45- 3 triumph over Albi, a result that took Falcons two points clear at the top of Pool Five.

This month’s back-to-back European wins were Newcastle’s first successes of the season, and having named Welch in the starting XV for this weekend’s trip to The Rec, Bates is looking for his side to reproduce their European form on English soil.

“Our European games over the past fortnight were useful for different reasons,” said Bates. “Although I might not have admitted it at the time, on reflection getting away from Padova with a 29-27 win in the middle of a rainstorm was actually really important for us.

“The Albi game was in completely different circumstances, and there were a number of really positive signs to emerge from it. The guys looked very comfortable, we moved the ball around well and kept possession for longer.

“A number of players have really taken their chances, and it’s given us a lot of selection posers throughout the team. Guys like Will Welch and Charlie Amesbury have seized the opportunity and laid a real marker down, and it’s nice to have that sort of competition.

“The European break has allowed us to look at the players in some slightly different combinations, and has re-invigorated the squad. The task now is to transfer that over to the Guinness Premiership stage, which we know will not be easy, but we’re playing with a lot of confidence and a real belief in where this team can go.”

Welch, an England Under- 20 international who attended Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, has kept his place from the side that started against Albi, but Bates has made four personnel changes ahead of the trip to the South- West.

Two of the changes come in the front row, with fit-again prop Jon Golding replacing Laurence Ovens at loose-head and Rob Vickers taking over from Matt Thompson at hooker.

Brent Wilson replaces Tongan international Josh Afu in the back row, while the only change to the backline sees Rob Vickerman return from a dislocated finger at outside centre in place of Gcobani Bobo.

After the summer upheavals following a drugs storm, Bath have won just one of their opening five Guinness Premiership matches.

But Bates is still expecting a tough examination as Newcastle look to improve a league position that currently sees them struggling just one place above the foot of the table.

“Some people might say their season hasn’t started very well but, from my point of view, all it demonstrates is the competitive nature of the Premiership,” he said.

“Defences are really strong and a lot of games are decided by less than one try. Bath have found themselves narrowly on the wrong end of a lot of those tight matches, and that’s a position I can sympathise with, given some of our own results this season.

“That’s just the nature of this league at the moment, all the teams are really competitive and I don’t think we can under-estimate Bath at all.”

FALCONS: Amesbury, Williams, Vickerman, Tu’ipulotu, Biggs, Gopperth, Young; Golding, Vickers, Hayman, Hudson, Sorenson, Wilson, Welch, Levi.

Replacements: Walker, Ovens, Ward, Swinson, Afu, Charlton, Miller, Bobo.