The 30-year-old has scored two tries in 14 matches this season, and will be hoping to help the Falcons complete a double over Gloucester following their 22-10 victory the last time the two teams met in January.

The lock-forward forms part of a team which sees a Premiership debut for Chidera Obonna, the 20-year-old winger who made an impressive maiden outing in the European Challenge Cup victory at Castres earlier this season.

Matias Orlando and Luther Burrell return to form an experienced centre pairing, Brett Connon earning a recall at fly-half in a side captained by scrum-half Michael Young.

Trevor Davison returns at loose-head prop having been a late withdrawal last weekend – Gary Graham coming into the back row as Mark Wilson looks to overcome some wear and tear on his knee.

Head coach Dave Walder said: “Gloucester is never an easy trip but is always a good place to go, so we’re looking forward to it.

“It’s a traditional hotbed of rugby – I have some good friends and old team-mates there like George Skivington, Dom Waldouck and Alex King – and it will be good to see those familiar faces.

“Gloucester are playing a good style of rugby at the moment, the weather forecast is great and we’re looking forward to it.”

Maintaining a positive outlook following last weekend’s home loss to leaders Bristol, Walder added: “The mood is still good but it’s been a tough few weeks, because nobody likes losing.

“This week we’ve been focusing on tweaking a few things, because we didn’t adapt and react to aspects of the game last weekend. We’re always looking for the answer and always wanting to improve, and we’re going down to Gloucester in good spirits after a strong week of training.

“Gloucester will pose different challenges than Bristol in some respects, and we’re very lucky with everything going on around the world that we’re still able to go out there every week and play rugby.

“We’re turning up every day for training looking to work and improve, and match-day is what you look forward to.

“Regardless of the situation in the league or anything else going on around it, this is a big game that we want to win and we want to climb up the table.

“The forecast is good, we’ve got a strong side on the field and everyone’s really up for the challenge.”

**Newcastle Falcons team to face Gloucester (Saturday, 3pm, Kingsholm, live on BT Sport Extra 2)**

15 Tom Penny

14 George Wacokecoke

13 Matias Orlando

12 Luther Burrell

11 Chidera Obonna

10 Brett Connon

9 Michael Young (captain)

1 Trevor Davison

2 George McGuigan

3 Logovi’i Mulipola

4 Greg Peterson

5 Sean Robinson

6 Will Welch

7 Gary Graham

8 Callum Chick

**Replacements**

16 Jamie Blamire

17 Adam Brocklebank

18 Rodney Ah You

19 Marco Fuser

20 Philip van der Walt

21 Louis Schreuder

22 Toby Flood

23 Pete Lucock

**Gloucester:** 15 Kyle Moyle, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Jonny May, 10 Lloyd Evans, 9 Stephen Varney; 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Ed Slater, 5 Alex Craig, 6 Jack Clement, 7 Lewis Ludlow (captain), 8 Ruan Ackermann.

**Replacements:** 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 Jack Stanley, 19 Matt Garvey, 20 Jordy Reid, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Santiago Carreras.

**Referee:** Tom Foley