It will be a proud day for the homegrown 23-year-old who returns to action at openside flanker for the first time since November after recovering from injury.

Another Academy graduate in Josh Bayliss is also back in the starting XV with Nathan Hughes completing a talented back row.

Mike Williams and Ewan Richards have overcome injury and illness respectively to pair up in the second row while the front row of Valeriy Morozov, Jacques du Toit and D’Arcy Rae remains the same.

Fly-half Danny Cipriani starts his fifth match for the club outside scrum-half Ben Spencer and Max Clark comes in at outside centre in the only other change to the team that began last weekend’s game against Leicester Tigers.

Try scorers Will Muir and Max Ojomoh retain their jerseys with Will Butt and Tom de Glanville also involved.

On the bench, Ma’afu Fia could make his Bath Rugby debut after joining on loan from Ospreys. Lewis Boyce, Will Spencer, Sam Underhill and Joe Cokanasiga are all back in the 23 following injury.

Unavailable due to injury, suspension, loan or international duty: Tom Ellis, Cameron Redpath, Juan Schoeman, Beno Obano, Anthony Watson, Ruaridh McConnochie, Tom Dunn, Johannes Jonker, Tian Schoeman, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Ethan Staddon, Josh McNally, Semesa Rokoduguni, Max Green, Charlie Ewels, Will Stuart, Orlando Bailey and Taulupe Faletau.

BATH RUGBY TEAM TO PLAY NEWCASTLE FALCONS

The opposition

15 Mike Brown, 14 Tom Penny (co-captain), 13 George Wacokecoke, 12 Matias Orlando, 11 Adam Radwan, 10 Will Haydon-Wood, 9 Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti; 1 Trevor Davison, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Mark Tampin, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Sean Robinson, 6 Josh Basham, 7 Connor Collett (co-captain), 8 Gary Graham

Replacements

16 Jamie Blamire, 17 Adam Brocklebank, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Rob Farrar, 20 Will Montgomery, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Brett Connon, 23 Pete Lucock

Reid to captain Bath Rugby for first time v Newcastle Falcons

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