NEWCASTLE FALCONS will be flying the flag for England in more ways than one when they compete in this season’s European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Falcons get their continental campaign underway tomorrow evening when they host Romanian side Bucharest Wolves, and director of rugby Dean Richards has delved into the academy set-up to name a squad featuring 21 England-qualified players.

Richards intends to do similar throughout the group stage, and it is telling that the likes of Alesana and Anitelea Tuilagi (Samoa), Uili Kolo’ofai (Tonga), Danny Barnes (Ireland), Ally Hogg (Scotland) and Josh Furno (Italy) have not been registered for European competition.

Instead, the likes of Will Witty, an England Under-20 international, Tom Penny, an England Under-18 representative, and Chris Harris, a former England Counties player, will be given an opportunity to impress.

“It will allow us to place a heavy emphasis on English-qualified players over these next few games,” said Richards. “That will be absolutely fantastic, and allow people to see some of the guys we have coming through the club at the moment.”

As well as aiding the development of the club’s young players, there is also a financial incentive behind Falcons’ promotion of domestic talent in the European Challenge Cup as clubs are rewarded for the number of English players they field over the course of a season.

In total, Richards has made 13 alterations to the side that claimed a second league win of the season at London Welsh last weekend, with Noah Cato and Mark Wilson the only players to retain their place in the side.

Penny, Harris, Lee Smith and Tom Catterick all make their first start of the season in the backs division, while Rory Clegg and Warren Fury will play together at half-back, having worked in tandem during this season’s Aviva A League campaign.

England tighthead Kieran Brookes adds some experience to the pack, with Bucharest renowned for boasting considerable strength in the scrum.

A team captain Andy Saull will skipper the side from the back row, where he is joined by Wilson and Dan Temm.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS: Smith, Catterick, Harris, Penny, Cato, Clegg, Fury; Fry, Hawkins, Brookes, Witty, Barrow, Temm, Saull, M Wilson.

Replacements: Nelson, Vickers, Tomaszczyk, Robinson, R Mayhew, Davies, Willis, Hammersley.