Nathan Catt starts a Premiership game for the first time this season as he lines up at prop for Bath against West Country neighbours Gloucester.

Wing Matt Banahan returns in the only other change to the side which beat Scarlets in the European Champions Cup.

Ed Slater is back in the second row for Gloucester following a finger injury.

Jeremy Thrush, Andy Symons and Ollie Thorley are all named on the bench after their recent injury problems, while Billy Burns moves to full-back.

Bath: Watson; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Clark, Banahan; Priestland, Fotuali'i; Catt, Dunn, Perenise, Charteris, Ewels (capt), Mercer, Underhill, Faletau.

Replacements: Walker, Obano, Andrews, Stooke, Garvey, Allinson, Lewis, Brew.

Gloucester: Burns; Purdy, Trinder, Twelvetrees, Halaifonua; Williams, Heinz (capt); Hohneck, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Slater, Ackermann, Ludlow, Morgan.

Replacements: Matu'u, Rapava Ruskin, Denman, Thrush, Rowan, Vellacott, Symons, Thorley.

Newcastle fly-half Toby Flood faces former club Leicester as he makes his first league start for the Falcons since rejoining from Toulouse.

Fellow Tigers old boy Vereniki Goneva, Sinoti Sinoti, Sonatane Takulua and Juan Pablo Socino return after missing the 21-20 win over Bordeaux-Begles.

Leicester have last season's top try scorer Adam Thompstone on the bench after recovering from a neck injury.

The Tigers make three changes to the side who beat Castres Olympique.

Brendon O'Connor returns at flanker, while Mathew Tait and Matt Smith, who should make his 150th start for the club, come in at centre after injuries to Matt Toomua and Gareth Owen in last weekend's 54-29 European Champions Cup victory over the French side.

Kyle Cooper, Mark Wilson and Nili Latu all return to the Newcastle pack to play alongside captain Will Welch, who will make his 200th appearance for the Falcons.

Referee Wayne Barnes takes charge of his 190th Premiership match, equalling Chris White's all-time record.

Newcastle: Tait; Goneva, Harris, Socino, Sinoti; Flood, Takulua; Vickers, Cooper, Welsh, Green, Robinson, Wilson, Welch (capt), Latu.

Replacements: Lawson, Mavinga, Davison, Witty, Hogg, Young, Hodgson, Mermoz.

Leicester: Veainu; Malouf, Smith, Tait, May; Ford, B Youngs; Genge, T Youngs (capt), Cole, Barrow, Kitchener, Mapapalangi, O'Connor, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Thacker, Bateman, Cilliers, Wells, Hamilton, Harrison, J Ford, Thompstone.