McCallum plots route back to Scotland despite dire Newcastle season
IT HAS been a desperate season for all connected with Newcastle Falcons, set to finish bottom of the Premiership by some distance and in the conversation for the worst top- flight team of all time.
The nadir of a shambolic campaign came at Ashton Gate last month as Bristol Bears ran riot, scoring 13 tries to record a club record 85- 14 win over the hapless Falcons, who are a million miles from the team that won the title in 1998 with Doddie Weir and Gary Armstrong among their ranks.
Scotland prop Murray McCallum wasn’t on the field for that, a calf injury ending his season prematurely, but the 28- year- old admitted it has been a tough campaign.
He said: “Losing is as much of a habit as winning. I’ve been involved in teams that have had rocky patches, whether that was at Edinburgh or Worcester.
“It’s hard to take, particularly if it’s all some boys have been used to. It’s difficult to change the mind set.”
Falcons sacked Alex Codling in January after he criticised the club in a post- match interview following another hammering at Leicester in December.
He said: “Newcastle have got decisions to make going forward around the strategy, because there are some really talented youngsters but in the short term it makes life difficult. That’s the bare facts of it. I can’t dress it up any other way – but I can’t criticise the players.”
Steve Diamond, the ex- Sale boss who spent time as a consultant at Edinburgh last season, was appointed his replacement. So far, his new approach hasn’t brought any improvement in results.
McCallum admitted the players must take some responsibility.
“It was rough and we did feel for Alex – he’s a lovely bloke,” the Fifeborn prop said. “It just shows it’s professional sport, the coach takes the brunt of it, but it was on us in terms of not performing.”
Diamond was involved vo ved at a Worcester in its dying ying days – he even attempted to salvage the club from administration stration – and has a reputation as s one of the game’s most astute coaches. es.
McCallum, who o worked with Diamond mond at Sixways and at Edinburgh last season, believes he’s e’s the right man for the job.
He added: “Because we need d direction rather than han wholesale change, I back him [ Diamond] nd] to come in and steer the ship.
“I’ve worked with th him at Worcester then at
Edinburgh and now here. I think I’ve got a good relationship with him, and I know what he’s after. He knows how to lead a bunch of boys. He’s got his way of doing things. When you are in, it’s short and sharp but intense. We batter through things. He doesn’t want us in at 7am and away at 4pm. It’s shorter days but you need to know your s***. If you don’t, that’s your fault because the coaches have given us everything in terms of preparation.”
Newcastle must attempt to pick themselves from the floor after their demolition at Bristol as Bath visit Kingston Park tonight. McCallum admitted they were lucky not to be on the end of the Premiership’s firstever three- digit scoreline.
He said: “When something gets that rough, it’s almost just about trying to forget about it. What could have gone wrong for us did, and what could’ve gone right for Bristol went right. They had another couple of passes that didn’t go to hand and they could’ve been in triple figures.
“Afterwards, we just talked about sticking to what we’re trying to build rather than over- analysing everything that went wrong.”
McCallum will sit that one out with a calf injury, but he insists he will be fit if called upon by Scotland for the summer tour.
With premier tighthead Zander Fagerson likely to be rested, and WP Nel hanging up his boots, there could be room for McCallum, who has three caps but hasn’t played for Scotland in six years.
McCallum added: “I’ll be back running in the last week of the season and I’ve been in contact with a couple of the coaches just before the Six Nations. It didn’t quite work out there but I’ve not had any comms leading up to the summer.
“There has been a lot of chat that boys will get rested because they’ve had a lot of rugby. I’ve no idea what’s going to happen.”
McCallum won the last of his three caps on an Americas tour, and hopes the door is not closed on his international career.
“I’d love to play for Scotland again,” g , he said, , before adding: “That’s why I still push to play top level rugby. I’d love l a game at Murrayfield that’s th something I’ve not done in a Scotland jersey yet.”
Longer term, McCallum will do his int international prospects prospe no harm if he can fulfil fu his aim to help make Newcastle a competitive co Premiership Pre outfit next nex season.
He H said: “We want wa to be recognised reco as a competitive compe Premiership Premi rugby team and a respected across the board.
“This season se and at points last se season, I don’t