Friday Night On The Toon

Let's hope skipper Joe Launchbury is in a happier mood after the Friday night clash with Falcons on their artificial pitch. He is back to lead a side which is desperate for a win. BT Sport 7.45 kick off.

Travelling all the way to the far north on a Friday nignt is not ideal.

However,Wasps will have some players who are well used to the surroundings - namely former Newcastle players Rob Miller, Zach Kibirige, Jimmy Gopperth and Kieran Brookes.

It's a game between two sides whose early season form has gone out of the window. Falcons were top of the table in December but since then have won just twice - against Gloucester and Quins.

Another bonus for Wasps is the return to the squad of Alfie Barbeary.

Wasps: Miller; Kibirige, Fekitoa, Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Gopperth, Wolstenholme; Harris, Taylor, Brookes, Launchbury (captain), Rowlands, Shields, Young, Vailanu

Reps: Oghre, West, Toomaga-Allen, Vukasinovic, Barbeary, Vellacott, Atkinson, Minozzi.

Falcons:  Penny; Carreras, Wacokecoke, Burrell, Stevenson; Hodgson, Young (c); Davison, McGuigan, Mulipola, Peterson, Fuser, Robinson, Welch, Van der Walt

Res: Blamire, Cooper, Tampin, Montgomery, Chick, Schreuder, Connon, Tait