The skipper has missed almost three months after injuring his ankle at Sale Sharks in early October, Welch returning to a Falcons side showing six changes from the one which took a bonus point from last weekend’s narrow defeat to Gloucester.

He is joined in the back row by Callum Chick, who scored two tries in captaining the Falcons’ table-topping A-Team in last Sunday’s 59-27 Premiership Rugby Shield win over Wasps.

Sami Mavinga comes in at loose-head prop in a front-row which also sees George McGuigan drafted in at hooker, the two additions to Newcastle’s back line being scrum-half Michael Young and winger Adam Radwan.

Sam Lockwood, Mark Wilson and Alex Tait all miss the game through injury, Newcastle having taken nine points from their last three Gallagher Premiership matches.

**Newcastle Falcons team to face Bristol Bears (Sunday, 3pm, Ashton Gate)**

15 Simon Hammersley

14 Vereniki Goneva

13 Chris Harris

12 Josh Matavesi

11 Adam Radwan

10 Toby Flood

9 Michael Young

1 Sami Mavinga

2 George McGuigan

3 Logovi’i Mulipola

4 Calum Green

5 Tevita Cavubati

6 Will Welch (captain)

7 John Hardie

8 Callum Chick

**Replacements**

16 Kyle Cooper

17 Adam Brocklebank

18 David Wilson

19 Andrew Davidson

20 Gary Graham

21 Sonatane Takulua

22 Brett Connon

23 Tom Arscott

**Bristol Bears**

15 Charles Piutau

14 Luke Morahan

13 Will Hurrell

12 Siale Piutau (co-captain)

11 Tom Pincus

10 Ian Madigan

9 Harry Randall

1 Yann Thomas

2 Harry Thacker

3 John Afoa

4 Chris Vui

5 Aly Muldowney

6 Steve Luatua

7 Dan Thomas

8 Jordan Crane (co-captain)

**Replacements**

16 Nick Fenton-Wells

17 Jake Woolmore

18 Lewis Thiede

19 Ed Holmes

20 George Smith

21 Andy Uren

22 Callum Sheedy

23 Piers O’Conor

**Referee:** Wayne Barnes