Newcastle teenager Rob Miller will be hoping the influence of Jonny Wilkinson rubs off on him when he makes his Guinness Premiership debut against Bristol at Kingston Park on Sunday.
Fly-half Miller, 18, was withdrawn from England Under-20s' Grand Slam decider against Ireland this weekend and will become the third-youngest player to play for the Falcons behind Wilkinson and Mathew Tait.
He gets his chance with Wilkinson, Tait and Toby Flood on international duty, but the absent England stars could yet have an impact on Sunday's match.
"Jonny and Toby have both been a massive help to me over the last couple of years," said Miller. "I've learnt so much just from training with them every single day.
"Guys like that are absolute class. They've got so much time to help young players like myself and I'll often work after training with them on my kicking, passing or whatever.
"The number 10 shirt obviously has a bit of a legacy behind it with guys like Rob Andrew, Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood, so hopefully I can do it justice this weekend."
Miller was handed his call-up by Steve Bates, who was placed in charge to the end of the season at Kingston Park following the sacking of John Fletcher and Bristol coach Richard Hill is fearful of an immediate backlash.
The Falcons reacted to a string of disappointing results by swinging the axe and Hill admits the move came as a surprise.
"It's always a bit of a shock to see one of your fellow coaches biting the dust like that," said Hill. "It seems harsh as they've had so many critical players taken away from them during the Six Nations.
"Playing Newcastle now is an interesting one. I would imagine that the decision has come as a shock to the players but sometimes the players gather as a group with the captain and vow to turn things around themselves so it might add a bit of determination."
The two sides below Newcastle in the table, Worcester and Leeds, meet at Sixways in the early kick-off tomorrow, with the visitors needing victory to keep alive their increasingly slender hopes of survival.
The Yorkshiremen have accrued just one bonus point since gaining their only win of the season - over Worcester at Headingley in October - and are 14 points adrift at the foot of the table with time running out.
In Sunday's other matches, Harlequins take on high-flying Bath at the Twickenham Stoop and a full house of 23,700 await the derby between London Irish and Wasps at the Madesjki Stadium.
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