Walder gives Falcons flight
“THERE might have been a couple of lads who had maybe booked a holiday,” admitted Dave Walder. “I wasn’t one of them.”
The institutionalised pessimism in some quarters at Newcastle was understandable. Why would you expect to be involved in the play-offs at this time of year given the Falcons’ long history as Premiership bottom-half dwellers?
The fact that Newcastle’s head coach did not automatically assume he would be free in midMay was, on a practical level, more down to the due date of his third child – Imogen arrived safely a fortnight ago – but he also had a feeling that the Falcons’ time was coming. And it duly has.
The 1998 champions face Exeter at Sandy Park in today’s semi-final, rubbing shoulders with the big boys of the English game again as the story of the Premiership.
“We haven’t got success yet but we’re getting better. It’s nice that we’re back on the map and people are talking about us,” said Walder.
“There were good signs at the end of last year and we did talk about top six and the Champions Cup before the season started.
“But once we’d started well with four wins out of five it put us on the front foot and then it was a case of trying to keep the momentum going.”
On and on the unheralded Geordies have rolled to within one match of Twickenham. Walder, who scored the injury-time try that beat Harlequins in the 2001 Tetley’s Bitter Cup final, was part of the last Falcons side to play there in 2004 when, with Jonny Wilkinson out injured, he kicked 17 points in another cup final victory, this time over Sale.
After moving on to Wasps and Japanese rugby, Walder started his coaching career with Richmond women’s team and returned to his hometown club four years ago as attack coach. This is his first season as head coach.
So while director of rugby Dean Richards picked up the award for coach of the season this week in a Falcons love-in at the Premiership awards, it is Walder who has been the nuts-and-bolts
It’s nice that we’re back on the map and people are talking about us
man on the training field. “Dean sits at the top and tells me what style he wants and I tell him how we’re going to implement it,” said 40-year-old Walder.
Bright, personable and English, Walder would have been a progressive coach for England to have taken to South Africa this summer. Instead Eddie Jones opted for an obscure Australian, Scott Wisemantel.
“I hadn’t heard of him, I must admit,” said Walder. “Eddie does things no one sees coming but I’m only in my fourth year as an attack coach so there’s plenty of time yet.
“I want to coach at international level but I have to earn my stripes with my club to get spotted. I never expected it this summer after one year as a head coach.”
Walder’s trick this season has been to maximise the opportunities for Newcastle’s lethal Pacific wings Niki Goneva and Sinoti Sinoti. While every team has go-to players, the Falcons go to theirs more than most.
“They’re capable of turning a game single-handedly so my job is just to get them the ball as often as I can. If they get 10 touches, my aim is to get them 12,” said Walder. “To start with it’s a case of getting them the ball and then getting them the ball in effective spaces. They have carte blanche to go where they want.
“Sometimes they have a tendency to switch off. I’ll make sure they’re working the whole time.”
Sinoti scored the try of the season in Newcastle’s home win over Exeter while Goneva, whose Alan Shearer goal salute after touching down in front of 30,000 at St James’ Park was one of the images of the season, was voted player of the year.
Logic suggests this is the end of the fairy tale for Newcastle – Exeter rarely lose at home – but the Falcons at least have a shot. And, under Walder, a plan.
“When I was at Wasps, Shaun Edwards taught me you tire people out by making them make tackles.
“Exeter are the best team in the league at keeping the ball,” said Walder
“Can we make it a 50-50 possession game and start taking them to places that others haven’t over the season? It’s easier said than done but we have belief.
“Things have fallen our way this season. Maybe they will again.”