Falcons bus the fans in

Falcons chairman Dave Thompson has ensured a vocal away backing at Vicarage Road by laying on free buses for the 600-mile round trip to Watford, with Dowson stating:

"We want this trophy for our supporters more than anything. With being so geographically isolated in the North-East our fans have to travel huge distances for almost every away game, and if we could lift some silverware this season that would be the ideal way from a players' point of view to say thank you for the great support they give us every single time we play.

"It's fantastic that the club has put on the free buses to make sure we have a strong presence down at Saracens, and having lost there 44-14 back in September it's fair to say we have some unfinished business with them. We did go some way to rectifying that back in February when we won 13-9 up at Kingston Park, but that result down in Watford at the start of the season really hurt us.

"We're in a different place now as a team to where we were back then, we're a much more cohesive unit playing some great rugby at times, and I can't wait for Sunday's game to come round."

Director of rugby, Steve Bates, will have to wait until later in the week to finalise his selection, with the Falcons squad carrying a number of knocks. Full backs Alex Tait and Steve Jones both limped out of last Sunday's 12-6 Premiership
defeat at London Wasps with thigh and knee problems respectively, while lock Tim Swinson (shoulder) and prop Jon Golding (ankle) are among Bates' other injury concerns. Naturally much attention will centre around the possible comeback of fly half Jonny Wilkinson, but Bates was keeping his cards close to his chest when asked about the chances of the England and Lions star turning out this weekend.

"We'll have to wait and see," said the former England scrum half. We will have a look at him in training, really test the knee out, and only when he comes through that sort of examination will we consider him for selection."

Asked about the importance of the European Challenge Cup in the context of his side's season, Bates said: "It is arguably our best chance of achieving Heineken Cup rugby next season, and from that point of view it assumes a major significance.

"As well as that, the prospect of claiming a trophy for our supporters is a massive motivation for myself and the players, and with it being our last chance for silverware this season we will be going flat out to make sure we win it."