FRANCOIS Louw will captain Bath from the openside flank tomorrow evening as they travel to face Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park in the Aviva Premiership (7.45pm), with rugby league convert Sam Burgess appearing in the back row.

Louw leads a side that features eight changes from the European Rugby Champions Cup defeat to Leinster in Dublin last weekend. Burgess and Leroy Houston complete the back row alongside Louw.

Semesa Rokoduguni returns to the wing opposite Matt Banahan and Ollie Devoto partners Jonathan Joseph in the midfield. Anthony Watson continues at full-back, while George Ford is joined in the half-backs by scrum-half Peter Stringer.

Nick Auterac and Max Lahiff scrum down either side of Ross Batty at hooker as Matt Garvey combines with Dominic Day in the second row.

Stuart Hooper and Kyle Eastmond both miss the trip with slight knocks.

Bath: 15. Anthony Watson, 14. Semesa Rokoduguni, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Ollie Devoto, 11. Matt Banahan, 10. George Ford, 9. Peter Stringer, 1. Nick Auterac, 2. Ross Batty, 3. Max Lahiff, 4. Matt Garvey, 5. Dominic Day, 6. Sam Burgess, 7. Francois Louw (captain), 8. Leroy Houston.

Replacements: 16. Rob Webber, 17. Paul James, 18. Kane Palma-Newport, 19. Dave Attwood, 20. Carl Fearns, 21. Alafoti Faosiliva, 22. Micky Young, 23. Tom Homer.