NEWCASTLE Falcons are able to bring in two former internationals to replace England bench men Toby Flood and Mathew Tait for tonight's Guinness Premiership clash with London Wasps at Kingston Park (8pm).

Samoa's Loki Crichton will be at fly half and New Zealand's Mark Mayerhofler at inside centre for a match Director of Rugby John Fletcher sees as the ideal chance to get over the disappointment of Sunday's controversial defeat at Bristol.

The Falcons suffered an agonising setback at the Memorial Stadium after a hotly-disputed penalty try in the dying minutes.

"I was pretty vexed," said Fletcher. "It was frustration more than anything, because we did enough to win.

"We have to improve the way we close out games like that, while the question over the way the game is officiated is out of our control.

"We all but beat a Bristol side which has only lost twice this season, and one of those was against us in the autumn.

"We stopped them from playing, and their type of game has traditionally hurt us, so a lot of credit must go to the forwards. They are really progressing with the way they play as a unit."

Having tasted defeat away to Wasps after a promising start, Fletcher said: "We learnt from our two early tries that we can hurt them.

"Their out-to-in defence is a relatively high risk strategy because it leaves a lot of one-on-ones, but you'd have to say it works for them and they execute it well. They haven't conceded a lot of tries this season, and they score a lot from turnover ball."

The key to victory could be avoiding the yellow cards which have blighted the Falcons' recent matches.

"We're having a problem keeping 15 men on the field," admitted Fletcher. "Some of it is of our own doing and some of it is not, but we can't let poor decisions get the better of us."

On the bench Joe Shaw and Tom Dillon slot in to cover Crichton and Mayerhofler's promotion to the starting XV. Reserve hooker Ross Batty is also required in the continued absence of Andy Long.

While all seats are sold out, standing tickets on the East and South Terraces remain on sale by calling 0871 226 60 60.

Newcastle Falcons: Matthew Burke (captain), Tom May, Jamie Noon, Mark Mayerhofler, John Rudd, Loki Crichton, Lee Dickson, Joe McDonnell, Matt Thompson, Micky Ward, Mark Sorenson, Jason Oakes, Geoff Parling, Ben Woods, Russell Winter

* Darlington skipper Richard Snowball and Wharfedale's former Mowden Park centre Mark Bedworth are both in the starting line-up for the England Counties against an Ireland Clubs XV at Donnybrook, Dublin, tonight.

Bedworth said: "I've been excited about this for a month and to finally know that you've got the shirt makes you proud.

"We are going to be a very professional outfit and everything is really well-organised. Ben Ryan's coaching style is quite different to what I've experienced in the past. It's nice to be given a bit of player power and the right to make the decisions."

Snowball is one of only two players in the team not with a National One or Two club and is bound to have offers to move up.

But after tonight his priority is to lead Darlington to safety in Three North.

They entertain second-placed Blaydon tomorrow, when Snowball's place at lock is likely to go to either Steve Taylor or Tom Wilkinson.

* Thirsk Sharks, now based at Darlington Mowden Park, provide two players for the women's international against Ireland at Limerick on Sunday.

Lock Tamara Taylor is joined by 21-year-old fly half Katy McLean, who will be making her first start after coming off the bench in the opening two Six Nations victories. Also in the team is Blaydon prop Katy Storie.

For the first time the women's game will feature in the North East Property Buyers Newcastle Festival of Rugby at Kingston Park in May.

A women's sevens tournament as well as girls' competitions at under-14s and under-17s have been introduced and Tamara Taylor said: "It's brilliant for women's rugby.

"I came from the generation where we started playing rugby a little bit later, but having something like this for girls aged 14 and 17 to look forward to is a big step forward."

Taylor, a community rugby coach, added: "Sevens is getting much more popular in the women's game, and there are now international tournaments.

"It's perfect for girls in their teens starting out because it's a fast open game with lots of tries and a big emphasis on skills."

The Newcastle Festival of Rugby takes place from Wednesday May 2 to Sunday May 6.

As well as the showpiece event of the Falcons 7s, the programme includes the Northumberland County 7s, a disability day, the Northumberland Senior Cup final, Schools 7s, Social 7s and a competition for emerging schools.

* Newcastle's Alex Tait is in the England Under 19 squad to face Wales at Aberavon next Friday (7.15).

Two more Barnard Castle School products, Tom Catterick and Alex Gray, are in the Under 16 squad to prepare for a Four Nations tournament also involving France, Italy and Wales, to be held in the Midlands on April 5-11.

Newcastle Falcons Under 18s will have Blaydon's Gavin Charlton at scrum half for Sunday's match at Barnard Castle (2pm), which is designed to help the school prepare for next month's Daily Mail Cup semi-final at Castlecroft, Wolverhampton.