Bath Rugby forward Stuart Hooper says every member of the squad believes the club can win the double this season.

The former Leeds Carnegie captain, who has been a pivotal figure in the Bath pack since leaving Yorkshire for the West Country in the summer, says the side is hungry for success and can win both the Guinness Premiership and the Heineken Cup.

The 27-year-old believes Bath's win in the European Challenge Cup final last season whetted the players' appetite for silverware.

"Winning the Challenge Cup made winning tangible and this year they are hungry for more success," said Hooper. "They are really ambitious.

"It's not like these things are miles in the distance. We can see them."

The Exeter-born England Saxon, who has already made 24 appearances for Bath, believes that playing intense, fast-flowing rugby from the first to final whistles is the key to the club bagging more trophies.

"We know that if we play well we can put teams away," he said.

"We've experienced playing fantastically well. We've just got to do that for the whole of a game.

"I'm sure that if you asked every single person 'Can we win the Guinness Premiership and the Heineken Cup' then everyone would say 'Yes'. That's why we are here.

"Game by game, we'll take it as it comes – but we definitely want to win."

Hooper has plenty of leadership experience, but says even he is benefiting from the tips of seasoned locks such as former Wallaby Justin Harrison and ex-England star Danny Grewcock, who is sidelined with a knee injury.

Last week, Harrison called on England boss Martin Johnson to include Hooper in the national team – and Hooper is happy to return the compliment.

"There's good morale among the pack. Everyone's really close and really tight, and it's nice to get bigged-up by one of your colleagues," he said.

"Justin is a true professional and a very conscientious player. He doesn't just say what you want to hear.

"He speaks in front of the squad very well and his experience is valuable both on the pitch and in training."

Grewcock is undergoing rehabilitation for a serious foot injury, but Hooper says the experienced second-rower is still a mighty presence around the club.

"Dan has more experience than most people in the game and he is a very valuable asset, even when he is not playing."

With the formidable Carl Hayman at tighthead, Hooper expects the Newcastle pack to be a handful when they rumble into The Rec on Saturday, but he believes Bath can clip the Falcons' wings.

"Newcastle are the form team, and rightly so," said the lock/flanker. "There is probably a feel-good factor there with guys signing their contracts. Five or six weeks ago the rumours that were coming out of there were the opposite.

"We've got to make sure that when they come down here we stick to what we do and the rest will take care of itself."

Michael Lipman is back to captain Bath tomorrow but Michael Claassens misses another week having sustained a hamstring injury during training.

Bath: N Abendanon; J Maddock, A Crockett, S Berne, M Banahan; B James, S Bemand; D Flatman, R Hawkins, D Bell, J Harrison, S Hooper, A Beattie, M Lipman (c), D Browne. Reps: M Lilley, A Jarvis, J Faamatuainu, J Scaysbrook, M Baxter, T Cheeseman, M Stephenson.