Bates hails commitment levels

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The Falcons beat Bristol 17-3 at the weekend to give the team rated by many as relegation favourites before the season began a second win from four matches.

"Having been in action only last Friday our players are showing enormous character in putting their hands up for selection just four days after a bruising encounter with Bristol," said Bates, who has made three changes, with Ollie Phillips starting on the wing, Hall Charlton at scrum-half and Micky Ward packing down at loose-head prop.

"Such a short turnaround does pose enormous challenges for us in terms of not having any real time to train with the players, but Gloucester also played on Friday so we just have to get on with it and prepare as best we can."

Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan has reacted to Friday's defeat at Sale by moving Olly Barkley to fly-half and dropping Lesley Vainikolo.

Vainikolo has been replaced on the wing by Iain Balshaw, with Olly Morgan returning at full-back and Gareth Cooper starting at scrum-half. Barkley replaces Ryan Lamb at 10 and Mike Tindall will captain the team from inside centre.

Sale's Charlie Hodgson was dominant on Friday night and Ryan said: "We have to try and get ourselves in the right areas of the field more consistently and reduce our error count to be as effective as we know we can be.

"With a turnaround like the one we face, we have to explore other options for this contest and that is what we have done."