Spencer Davey knows better than most how devastating Olly Barkley and Mike Tindall can be when they hit form – and the Newcastle centre will get a close look at his former team-mates as his side face Gloucester tomorrow.

Davey went to school with Barkley before competing with him for the No 12 shirt at Bath, and was mentored by Tindall at the Recreation Ground during his early days with the club.

The 25-year-old will come up against the duo – both of whom have been criticised over their recent form – for the first time in his career when Gloucester travel to Kingston Park in the final game of the EDF Energy Cup campaign tomorrow.

"When I came on against Gloucester at Kingsholm earlier this season, I was on the wing so I didn't actually come up against Olly," said Davey.

"This will be the first time I have played against him and it will certainly be interesting – I can't wait to get stuck into him!

"I obviously know him pretty well from training against him and having played with him since school, so I know how good he is.

"It's the same with Tins. He was my mentor at Bath, because they had a mentoring scheme for young players at the time, and he was really good with me. He really looked after me and I will always have a lot of time for Tins."

Davey played in the same Colston's School team as Barkley, Gloucester No 8 Gareth Delve and Bath club captain Alex Crockett – "it wasn't a bad side" – and was captained by the Gloucester centre at the renowned Bristol school.

And he is delighted to see his former team-mates in the Gloucester line-up for tomorrow's game, as it means they are taking a near full-strength side to the north-east.

"I think it's really good that Gloucester are taking this competition so seriously – good on them," said Davey.

"From our point of view, we can't progress but we are trying to put a performance together so we are in good shape for our next Premiership game."

Gloucester welcome fly-half Ryan Lamb, scrum-half Gareth Cooper, prop Nick Wood and lock Alex Brown back from injury.

Their named back-line of Willie Walker, Iain Balshaw, Tindall, Barkley, Lesley Vainikolo, Lamb and Cooper includes 160 Test caps worth of talent.

Newcastle: S Jones; D Williams, T May, S Davey, J Rudd; R Miller, H Charlton; J McDonnell, M Thompson, M Ward, T Swinson, M Sorenson, E Williamson, B Wilson, P Dowson (capt). Reps: R Vickers, J Golding, A Perry, R Winter, T Tu'ipulotu, M Young, R Clegg.

Gloucester: W Walker; I Balshaw, M Tindall (capt), O Barkley, L Vainikolo; R Lamb, G Cooper; N Wood, A Titterrell, C Nieto, A Eustace, A Brown, P Buxton, A Hazell, A Strokosch. Reps: O Azam, A Dickinson, M Bortolami, A Satala, D Lewis, J Adams, C Sharples.