FALCONS CAN’T PHIL STADIUM

Stateside experiment won’t be sell-out

The league clash between unbeaten Newcastle and European champions Saracens takes place in Philadelphia tomorrow (10pm UK). Three months ago, Premiership Rugby said it was “integral to the success of this project that the game is sold out”. Yet only 10,000 are expected at the 18,500-capacity Talen Energy Stadium, a year after 14,811 watched Sarries play London Irish in New Jersey. Twenty seasons after Sir John Hall bankrolled Newcastle to Premiership glory, the Falcons are on the rise again under Dean Richards. This generation may lack the superstars of 1997/98 when Inga Tuigamala, Pat Lam, Rob Andrew and Jonny Wilkinson led the Toon to glory. But a largely homegrown side is two from two, crowds are up, they own their own stadium, and are targeting a top-six finish. “We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground – we’re only three weeks in,” said Richards. “But the club is in a far better place than it has ever been.” Managing director Mick Hogan said: “Twenty years ago the club had a strategy on the field: to go out and buy the best players in the world. “It got them promoted and won them the Premiership at the first go. “But there were no solid foundations. Since then, we’ve put a lot of money into our academy and now have a 45-50 per cent homegrown team. “We’ve still got one of the smallest playing budgets but we have got THE best spotter of talent and negotiator that there is in Dean.” Now comes the big test. Billy Vunipola starts for Sarries, who have not lost this fixture in nine years.