DISCUSSION POINTS

What a season they had last time out. The Falcons’ play-offs spot was a fine reward for some of their sustained excellence. Sure, they didn’t collect many bonus points throughout last season and they just crept past Leicester into fourth place in the end, but that’s what made the whole thing all the more special up north – they did the job with very little fanfare.

How do they back that up? Well, while they still have electrifying, terrifying wingers in their line-up, they need more scores coming from everywhere else on the field. At least with their core of young, English grafters ably supported by some X-factor islanders, they will always fight to the bitter end, even if they don’t quite blow the other teams away.

Director of rugby Dean Richards has created a gritty system there and perhaps even more enjoyable than that, the Kingston Park fans are beginning to believe again.