MICHAEL YOUNG captains Newcastle Falcons tomorrow evening when they make the Premiership Rugby Cup trip to Leicester Tigers.

The former Leicester player forms a half-back partnership with Tian Schoeman as Newcastle set out in search of their first victory in this season’s competition.

Former Saracen Elliott Obatoyinbo starts at full-back in a back-line containing Iwan Stephens, the winger who scored a try and made another during the Falcons’ pre-season trip to Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Phil Brantingham returns at loose-head prop, with Matthew Dalton continuing in the second row after making his Gallagher Premiership debut away to Northampton Saints last weekend.

Marcus Tiffen, Matt Deehan and Tom Marshall form an all-academy back row, with Newcastle’s bench including potential competitive debuts for Vereimi Qorowale and Luke Coulston.

The Falcons have also taken the opportunity to rotate their coaching pool for the 7pm kick-off, with head of academy James Ponton taking charge.

He said: “I’ve done this for a few seasons now and it’s always really useful, but as well as that we’ve got a number of academy staff members involved like our coach PJ Butler, our analyst Nick Todd and our S&C (strength and conditioning) coach Michael Ferguson.

“It’s good for those guys just to be in and around that senior environment, and most importantly I think it creates a more seamless link between how we’re trying to play at Under-18s level and what the younger players will then experience when they step up to the first team.

“Bridging that gap is incredibly difficult because, especially for forwards, we can only expose them to so much at Under-18s. Even the guys who play for England Under-18s, when they first transition into a Falcons first team session they’re miles away because the gap is just so big.

“As a coach you’re thinking ‘I’ve wasted all that time because they’re nowhere near’ but they learn really quickly, and these Premiership Cup games are a great platform for those guys to come in and get a taste of it. We find they bridge the gap very quickly once they’re exposed to it, but in practical terms it’s really hard finding other ways to get that experience into them.”

Relishing the prospect of travelling down to take on the Tigers, Ponton added: “We are going to Leicester with a strong side, and it’s great to have plenty of experience in there as well as a number of our promising young players."