Falcons won’t fly the nest any more
TOBY FLOOD won three Premiership titles and earned the Leicester captaincy during a stellar six-year stint at Welford Road.
At a sold-out Kingston Park tomorrow, where the Tigers are the visitors, the former England fly-half will make his first Premiership start for Newcastle since 2008.
A move from Leicester to Toulouse in 2014 spelt the end of Flood’s international career, before this summer’s return to the club where he made his name.
After years of struggle, Dean Richards’ vibrant young side lie fourth and a crowd of 10,200, the Falcons’ biggest home gate for nine years, will see the visit of Flood’s erstwhile employers.
“What sold Newcastle to me was the desire to not just be where they have been previously,” said Flood 32.
“I can’t pretend it’s a sleeping giant like Newcastle United with 52,000 at every game, but it has the potential to get better.
“Whether that comes in two years, five years or whenever, the key is to keep the young guys together, unlike my first spell here.
“Myself, Mathew Tait and Lee Dickson all disappeared, then Jamie Noon and Jonny Wilkinson went.
“If I can impart a tiny bit of knowledge and give back what I stole from the likes of Jonny, Matt Burke, Dave Walder and Tom May when I came through, that’s hugely important for me.”
Flood returned to Newcastle to find little had changed, except for a new artificial playing surface.
He said: “The gym is still in the same place under the West Stand with no daylight and there were bits of kit that smelt nine years old.
“But what has changed is the team’s perspective and how they want to go out and attack the opposition. To actually win some silverware would be a landmark for this team.”
Flood is happy to be home after a turbulent time in Toulouse, a club rife with internal politics and general on-field decline.
They finished 12th last season in the Top 14 and Flood said: “Sometimes I didn’t know where I stood in terms of what was going on and how we were operating.
“I was flicking between No10 and 12 all the time, so it was quite difficult in rugby terms.
“At Leicester, everything was very structured and our pre-game stuff was in place down to an absolute tee.
“Over there, it changed week to week. There was no routine at all, so I would just shrug my shoulders and get on with it.
“There were always power struggles going on. I had two years to run and it would have been easy to sit there, do nothing and take the money.”
The move to France signalled the end of his 60-cap England career but Flood says Stuart Lancaster told him he would still be considered for the disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign. “Stuart said, ‘You won’t get picked for the Six Nations, but you’ll get pulled in for the wider 55-man World Cup camp’,” said Flood.
“But when I went to Toulouse, I got the call saying, ‘Actually, we’re not doing that’.
“When you are told one thing and they go back on it, that’s not ideal.
“When England didn’t get out of the pool, there was a part of me then thinking, ‘Well maybe I did make the right decision’.”
England have moved on under Eddie Jones, of course, and Flood said: “The boys I speak to say how ruthless he is but fair.
“I’d loved to have tasted the Eddie stuff. Part of me fancies picking up the phone to him and asking if I can just watch a couple of sessions, just to see what makes it tick and why the boys are loving it.”