Richards: This is my best Falcons squad
DEAN Richards believes the Newcastle Falcons have the most complete squad of his five-year tenure – and he expects that to reflect that on the pitch this season.
The Falcons have brought in a stack of new additions this summer including three-time French title winner Maxime Mermoz, Canadian winger DTH van der Merwe and the returning Toby Flood.
Those players have been signed to improve a squad which finished eighth last season - the club’s highest finish in 11 years.
Saturday’s double-header saw around a quarter of the 43 Newcastle players who featured making their club debuts.
The Falcons were also without a number of first-team players, including captain Will Welch, fullback Alex Tait and Van Der Merwe, for the Doncaster and Nottingham games.
Newcastle have always relied on a steady conveyor belt of talent coming through the academy and Richards is looking to exploit that once more.
However, with the recruitment of talented veterans, he believes this is the best group he has worked with on Tyneside.
Richards said: “The recruitment has been really good and the squad is as strong as it has been since I came here.
“We have been delighted with how the squad has come together.”
When asked if he is happy with the squad’s depth, he added: “Yes, certainly in the backline and in the pack as well.
“There are a number of boys coming through from the academy and are shaping up well.
“We have recruited well and people like Ryan Burrows and Sami Mavinga, Trevor Davison has come up from Blaydon and done well.
“There are a number of boys who are young and inexperienced at this level but showed why we have so much faith in them.”
The side reached 10 league wins for the first time since 2002 last season, Richards gradually rebuilding a side which for years merely clung on to Premiership survival.
That process has continued this off-season and with more talent at his disposal than ever before he expects that to show on the field – and the league table.
Richards added: “The target has always been the same, to go out there and win every game we possibly can.”
After comfortably beating their Championship opponents by scores of 31-8 and 49-19, Richards still has to figure out his starting XV for the forthcoming league campaign.
The director of rugby is still testing out combinations and will continue to do so next Saturday in a friendly against Rotherham Titans.