HAVING spent the last two weeks on European duty, Alan Tait admits Newcastle Falcons will have to step up a gear when they return to domestic action against Saracens tonight.

Tait’s side experienced mixed fortunes in the Amlin Challenge Cup, claiming a comfortable enough home win over Bourgoin but suffering a convincing defeat in Montpellier.

Both French sides are struggling domestically this season, and neither would be much of a match for a Saracens side that have won four of their opening five Aviva Premiership matches.

As a result, Tait admits his players will have to improve markedly if they are to spring a surprise at Kingston Park.

“You sit back and watch the Heineken Cup rugby on the TV on a weekend, and you have to admit it’s another level,” said the Falcons head coach.

“We need to step up to that against the big teams, the boys know that already and we’re right up for the challenge.

“Saracens are better than anyone in the Aviva Premiership at the moment in terms of recycling it for 20 or 30 phases at a time, which is punishing for defences. They’re an immense team at keeping the ball, and they make you defend for a long, long time.

“We have to be spot on in that area, but we have to go at them with the ball as well and meet intensity with intensity.”

If they are to secure only their second success of the season, Newcastle will also have to nullify the threat of Saracens’ star hooker Schalk Brits.

The South African scored two tries against them last season, and has started the current campaign with the bit between his teeth.

“He’s their real buzz bomb, and I just love flicking the TV on and watching him when he’s playing,” said Tait.

“He’s like an extra centre.

He tore us to bits down there last season scoring two great tries, and any fly-half in world rugby would have been proud of the footwork he used to get past our defenders.

“He’s very dangerous, not just for what he does but for the way his team-mates respond to what he does.

“Saracens have a few of these key ball players, and the rest of the team follow suit when those boys do something special. There’s a big onus on us to nullify those runners.”

Newcastle welcome back their own first-choice hooker this evening, with Rob Vickers returning to the starting line-up to skipper the side.

Jimmy Gopperth is back at fly-half after a fortnight on the sidelines, with England Saxon Micky Young playing alongside him at scrum-half.

Lock Tim Swinson also returns to the starting XV, but prop Jon Golding misses out because of an Achilles injury.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS (vs Saracens): Tait, Fielden, Bobo, Eves, Amesbury, Gopperth, Young; Brookes, Vickers, Ryan, Townson, Swinson, M Wilson, Pennycook, Hogg.

Replacements: Graham, Fearn, Hall, Levi, B Wilson, Pilgrim, Henderson, Catterick.