Welch has grown into true leader
AS WILL Welch prepares to lead Newcastle for a seventh straight season, the 28-year-old admits he is now far more comfortable in the role.
The back-row forward became the Falcons youngest ever club captain in 2012 when, at the age of 22, he skippered the side to the Championship title in his first season.
The Newcastle-born player has since gone on to make more Premiership appearances as captain (86) than any other current player and is eighth on the all-time list.
However, Welch, who made his 200-appearance for the Falcons last year, admits he wasn’t always a natural leader.
“I have a better understanding of what’s needed now,” he said in a frank interview with The Rugby
Paper. “I was only 22 at the time so I was probably a little bit out of my depth and, obviously, as a club we were going through a pretty tough patch.
“We were around the bottom most years and went through relegation and I took it personally and thought about it too much. At times, it probably affected my game.
“I’d like to think captaincy comes a lot more naturally now and I enjoy it a lot more. But the way I captain hasn’t changed that much, I still like to lead by example and keep my chat to a minimum and just say what I need to say.
“I think it is important to draw on people around you too, and delegate rather than just take it on solely by yourself. The more leaders you have around you, the better team the team is.”
Newcastle begin their quest to back up last season’s top-four finish with a visit from reigning champions Saracens, a team that Welch acknowledges have become the benchmark.
“Whether they have little blips or not, they always come out the other side and compete in finals whether that’s in the Premiership or Europe,” he said. “Across the board they have a class squad and the way they go week to week in terms of their consistency is what we need to do.”
Welch is acutely aware that to stand still in the Premiership is to go backwards because of the competitiveness of the league.
The Falcons have bolstered their squad accordingly, especially in the front-row, where returning hooker George McGuigan and Logovi'i Mulipola arrive from Leicester.
Welch believes the longhaired Mulipola has what it takes to become a real fans’ favourite on Tyneside.
“He’s a big abrasive boy who likes the big hits and strong carries, so I am sure when he gets his hands on the ball the fans will love it. He is very excited to be getting out there.”
Welch is confident his hometown club have the strength in depth to cope with the dual demands of Champions Cup and Premiership rugby.
The Falcons qualified for Europe’s top-tier competition for the first time in 14 seasons and games against Toulon, Montpellier and Edinburgh await.
He says: “The good thing about the squad is there is a good blend of youth and experience. Everyone will get a run out at some point.”