Star doesn’t have far to look for great support
HODGSON HAILS COLLECTIVE EFFORT OF FALCONS
JOEL Hodgson believes positive memories of Kingsholm can help propel Newcastle Falcons to their first ever European final as they visit Gloucester Rugby on Friday.
A fine goal-kicking performance from the fly-half helped the Falcons to a 21-20 Aviva Premiership triumph at the same venue on March 3.
Then, Falcons recorded their second successive victory at the home of the Cherry and Whites. And the stakes could barely be higher going into Friday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final.
The winner will meet Cardiff Blues or French club Pau in the final in Bilbao on Friday May 11.
And Hodgson said: “Gloucester is a phenomenal place to go and play, and we enjoy it. We’ve won our last couple there in the league, we have had some good battles there and we know we have to be on top of our game to put away a good Gloucester side.
“They’re going really well at the moment, scoring tries for fun and we certainly have to front up in defence.
“When we do get the ball we need to keep hold of it, be accurate in what we do. It’s nice in games like this not to have to think about playing for bonus points or home advantage.
The 25-year-old is the most accurate goal-kicker in this season’s Challenge Cup after landing all 12 of his shots at goal and helping Newcastle win all seven of their games in the competition. Hodgson, the academy product who has made 105 appearances for the club over two spells, added: “It would be a great achievement for the club to reach our first ever European final, and we’re also right in that play-off mix in the Premiership.
“The business end of the season sees us alive in multiple competitions, and that was always the vision that Dean Richards and Semore Kurdi had for the club when they first came on board.
“It’s great to be a Newcastle lad playing for a Falcons team who are doing so well, and I’m lucky to have great players everywhere I look here.
“The progress we have made has been a huge collective effort, everyone understands and buys into the game plan, and it’s not just a oneman show. Everyone has their part, and if they do that on Friday we’ll have another victory to enjoy.
“If we handle the occasion correctly I’ve no doubt we have what it takes.”
Hodgson held his nerve with a late long-range penalty and a lastminute conversion during last Friday’s dramatic 35-30 home win over Sale Sharks.
He said: “We left it a little longer than we would have liked, but in the past that was a game we would have lost.
“We’ve grown as a team, as a club in general, and we just have that understanding of how to get ourselves out of a hole,
“The good thing was we had the nous to still get the result.”