Falcons travel as restrictions ease in France
NEWCASTLE Falcons were ready to withdraw from tonight’s Challenge Cup clash with Biarritz until it was announced French travel restrictions would be lifted in time for the fixture to take place.
France’s tourism minister JeanBaptiste Lemoyne confirmed yesterday morning the requirement for travellers from the UK to quarantine for 48 hours on arrival would be scrapped.
It removes the threat of players and staff, who would only be able to leave quarantine after producing a negative coronavirus test, being stranded in France.
Instead, travellers who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter France if they have evidence of a negative test taken within 24 hours of departure.
Director of rugby Dean Richards admitted players have dropped of the squad this week after testing positive for Covid but added he was concerned tonight’s game might not have gone ahead at all.
The club only received the official all-clear to embark on their trip to Biarritz yesterday morning, ending a tense period in limbo.
Richards said: “I saw the relaxation of the rules being brought in by the French government and welcome that entirely.
“We have sat down and talked about it on a daily basis. On an hourly basis actually.
“You need to take 40 people to a place but don’t quite know if you are going to go or not.
“We could not have played the game because of the travel details like isolating and testing.
“We would have been leaving ourselves open to losing a whole squad over in France for 10 days.
“The scenario might have arisen whereby we might have been stuck there for another 10 days after that had we then tested positive going into the Toulon game.
“It was a non-starter from our point of view.
“The uncertainty of it has created angst for a lot of people who do all the organising.
“Bearing in mind our next Premiership game is on January 29 I am quite happy to be playing.”
England hooker Jamie Blamire is among the players coming into the Falcons’ XV for tonight’s game, Mike Brown captaining a side showing 11 changes from the one which lost to Northampton on Saturday.
Pete Lucock and George Wacokecoke come into the centres and Adam Radwan returns on the wing.
Brett and Connon and Sam Stuart form the half-back partnership, the Falcons looking for their fifth successive away victory in EPCR Challenge Cup pool action.
Adam Brocklebank and Mark Tampin join Blamire in a freshenedup front row.
Rob Farrar comes in at lock in front of a back row which sees callups for Gary Graham, Connor Collett and Callum Chick.
Prop Conrad Cade will make his first-team debut if he comes on from the bench, having spent much of the season at Championship side Doncaster Knights.
Richards added: “We have 20 English-qualified players in our match-day 23, 13 of whom have come through our academy, so we have a lot of homegrown talent.
“We are really proud of that and the number is even bigger when you consider some of the guys who are missing, like Tom Penny, Ben Stevenson, Trevor Davison, Sean Robinson, Mark Wilson, Michael Young and Joel Hodgson.
“I think that is a great reflection of what we are about as a club and this match is a great opportunity for us.”
The Falcons beat Worcester 31-26 in their only Challenge Cup clash so far this season in December but are searching for form in the league.
Richards said: “We are smarting from our last three results in the Premiership and we have a point to prove.
“The boys want to go out to France and make a statement and this tournament is important.”
French side Toulon and Italian outfit Zebre complete the five-team pool, the top three teams and one best runner-up progressing through to the round of 16.
NEWCASTLE Falcons team v Biarritz Olympique (tonight, 8.00 UK time, Parc des Sports Aguiléra): 15 Mike Brown (captain), 14 Adam Radwan, 13 George Wacokecoke, 12 Pete Lucock, 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Mark Tampin, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Rob Farrar, 6 Gary Graham, 7 Connor Collett, 8 Callum Chick. Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Conrad Cade, 18 Logovi’i Mulipola, 19 Will Montgomery, 20 Josh Basham, 21 Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Luther Burrell.