Vocal home crowd will fire Falcons, says Welch
NEWCASTLE Falcons’ captain Will Welch says his team will benefit from a vocal home support ahead of Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership season opener against champions Saracens at Kingston Park.
The flanker and his squad are keen to kick on from last season’s fourthplaced finish, champions Saracens offering a robust test in week one for a Falcons side who were the surprise package of 2017/18.
Sunday’s 3.00 kick-off is set to be played in front of the Falcons’ biggest first home game attendance since 2004, when a crowd of 8,706 filed through the turnstiles for a 22-21 victory over Harlequins.
Welch believes they could be the difference after a run of home victories last season which lasted more than five and a half months.
He said: “When we have 7,000 or 8,000 inside Kingston Park Stadium it feels like a full house and the noise is incredible.
“The players really feed off that, it gives us extra excitement when our fans are behind us and we are lucky we have such a supportive group of people coming to see us.”
Expecting a bruising afternoon against the champions but confident his men can rise to the challenge, Welch added: “Saracens do not change too much so you pretty much know what you are going to get – but they do everything well.
“They are physical, they have a great set-piece, they are champions for a reason and we know what they are about.”