Tait is in his first full season as Falcons coach

Newcastle head coach Alan Tait says the Falcons' Premiership survival is essential to maintaining interest in the game in the north east of England.

Tait's men have had to battle against relegation from the top flight in each of the last four seasons and currently lie 11th in the table.

"We are desperate to keep Premiership rugby up here in the north east," Tait told BBC Newcastle.

"The boys have been very positive, and we hope we can get things right."

Massive investment during the early years of professional rugby union helped Newcastle to the Premiership title in 1998, but the Falcons have adopted a more austere approach in recent years.

Big-money internationals Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Burke and Carl Hayman have all moved on to be replaced by academy graduates and promising imports from the Championship like Micky Young, Luke Eves and Keiran Brookes.

"Teams that get the crowds and the money are obviously going to get the big players," added Tait.

"The top teams have the cream of the players, so it's very difficult."

Falcons' home game with Bath on Friday was postponed after heavy snow made the Kingston Park pitch unplayable, leaving Tait's side without a match for two weeks following the 44-19 defeat at Leicester.

"We don't mind dragging Bath up here, but they've got flights to get and hotels to book, and if they come up and it's off it's a waste, so it was the right decision.

"We were just looking to bounce back after the weekend, we got a bit of a drubbing off Leicester. The only way to sort it is to get out there and put wrongs to rights.

"Everybody looks to the home games as bread and butter, and they want to make the home games as hard as possible,

"The Friday nights have gone down well, we're getting a bit of an atmosphere and we know teams don't like playing up here, we've got to take the opportunity to take the points that are on offer."

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