HEINEKEN CUP POOL 5 Live on BBC Radio Newcastle Live on BBC Wales and online

Injury setbacks have caused Newcastle to name their starting line-up without a recognised fly-half.

With both Jonny Wilkinson and Dave Walder two of 16 players out injured, scrum-half James Grindal gets the nod at number 10.

Nathan Brew and Luke Charteris miss out for the Dragons but Jamie Ringer is fit play and Gareth Cooper makes the bench.

The Welsh side are without Rod Snow, after a second knee operation, and No 8 Richard Bryan with a long-term injury.

Three-quarter Hal Luscombe will play, having had a special splint made to protect his injured thumb.

Dragons refuse to appease Andrew

The Falcons won at Rodney Parade earlier in the Pool and the bad feeling from that encounter has seen a war of words break out this week, with Dragons flanker Ringer and Falcons director of rugby Rob Andrew exchanging views.

The arguments have added extra spice to a match that will decide who advances to the quarter-finals.

The Falcons lead Pool Five and the mathematics are simple for the English side, with a win guaranteeing them a place in the knock-out stages.

It is more complicated for the other two sides still in with a chance in the pool, with the Dragons the sole Welsh side still capable of advancing thanks to their 48-5 win over Edinburgh at Rodney Parade on Saturday.

"We are in with a shout - along with Newcastle and Perpignan - of progressing to the quarter-finals and all three of us know that we have to win our final matches to have any chance," said Dragons team manager Jim McCreedy.

LAST MEETING 23 October: Dragons 6-10 Newcastle Four-week ban for Gross

"However, Newcastle are in the driving seat. If they beat us, that is that - they win the pool and are in the quarter-finals."

Only a win will be good enough for the Dragons, and if they beat Newcastle and Perpignan lose in Scotland to Edinburgh the Welshmen will be through.

But Perpignan are likely to win against the pool's whipping boys - and probably win well - so realistically the Dragons will also need a bonus point from a win and hope Perpignan fail to earn one themselves.

The French side holds a superior try count from their two encounters with the Dragons, so will go through as pool winners if they finish level on points with the Dragons.

That scenario could still see the Dragons qualify as one of the two best runners-up, but other teams appear better placed going into the final round of pool matches.

Newcastle: Shaw; May, Tait, Mayerhofler, Stephenson; Grindal, Charlton; Peel, Long, Kalman; Gross, Grimes; McCarthy, Charvis, Dowson.
Replacements: Thompson, Isaacson, Hamilton, Parling, Dickson, Sititi.

Dragons: P Montgomery; G Wyatt, H Luscombe, S Tuipulotu, K Morgan; C Sweeney, G Baber; A Black, S Jones, R Thomas, I Gough, P Sidoli, J Ringer, J Forster (capt), M Owen.
Replacements: J Richards, R Snow, C Anthony, N Edwards, R Oakley, G Cooper, C Warlow.

Referee: Allan Lewis (Ireland)