Falcons’ coach hopes for Rich pickings as squad eyes a place in Premier final
FLOOD RETURN BOOSTS DEANO
NEWCASTLE Falcons welcome back fly-half Toby Flood for this afternoon’s Aviva Premiership semifinal at Exeter Chiefs.
The three-time title winner will be playing his first game in six weeks after recovering from a hand injury, hooker Kyle Cooper also returning to the fray in a team showing eight changes from the one which hosted Wasps a fortnight ago.
Sam Lockwood and Scott Wilson come in at prop while Calum Green returns to the second row, Mark Wilson captaining the side in the continued absence of the injured Will Welch.
In the half-backs Michael Young partners Flood, Josh Matavesi moving back to inside centre in a threequarter line which sees Aviva Premiership Player of the Season Vereniki Goneva and Sinoti Sinoti coming in on the wings.
Sinoti this week won the Premiership’s Try of the Season award for his stunning solo score in the Falcons’ 28-20 triumph over Exeter in January, director of rugby Dean Richards saying: “I am excited by the semifinal - I always loved the big games when I was a player and I am the same in my current role.
“The great thing is the players share that excitement, they are absolutely up for the game and you can feel the buzz around the whole club.
“Training has gone well, the sun is shining and everyone has a smile on their face. It means a huge amount to the whole club and not just the team.
“We have had two weeks between games which has allowed a few niggles to be ironed out and we have been able to have a proper period of preparation as well as giving the guys sufficient rest to ensure they are fresh for this afternoon.
“With it being a semi-final we can just focus entirely on one game rather than what happens the week after - the detail of our build-up has been excellent and I really feel we are in good shape.
“It is about channelling our excitement and making sure we execute our game plan but the boys seem mentally switched on and ready to roll.”
His team billed as clear underdogs by those outside Kingston Park, the Falcons’ boss added: “Everybody is tipping Exeter to win but we have gone well away from home this season, so we have a lot of belief without any of the external pressure.
“It is not that we don’t have a care in the world but we have nothing to lose down there. We will just give it our all and see what happens and we have already beaten Exeter in the Premiership this season.
“In that respect it does not hold any fear for us, it is just understanding how to go about it and executing the plan to the Nth degree. “These little percentages here and there make a massive difference when you are in semi-finals and you cannot get away with some of the things which you might do during the regular season. “This is when your detail and your accuracy really starts to count. “That said, Exeter are an outstanding side and we have absolute respect for them. “They are an incredibly patient and well-coached team who are happy to keep the ball for 20 or 30 phases on occasion and are quite similar to ourselves in that regard.” In the week he was named Director of Rugby of the Season at the Aviva Premiership Awards, Richards said: “It is not about me, it is about the team as a whole and all the boys have played a big part. “It sits a little uncomfortably with me when I receive these kind of plaudits because it is a massive collective effort rather than any one person and everyone pulls their weight. “There is not one person who stands out as being dominant, so any compliments we get should be directed at the whole group rather than myself. “That includes the medical staff, conditioners, analysts and every person involved in preparing the team, as well as obviously the players.
“It has been a hard season in many respects with a number of challenges - but for the most part we have met them.
“It has been a big collective thing and we have been able to marry a bit of stardust from overseas along with the core of our local boys - and it has blended together very well.
“Our captain Will Welch has been unbelievable in driving those standards, he has been absolutely incredible behind the scenes and he is one of those guys who just quietly does it rather than putting himself out into the public domain.
“Nobody is bigger than the group, even guys who have won stacks of trophies and international caps, and I think that is at the heart of the culture that Will is driving.”
On the back of their best league finish in two decades Richards is adamant this moment will not pass by fleetingly, with the prospect of a Premiership final at Twickenham a week today against Saracens or Wasps.
He went on: “There is no point in being in a semi-final unless you give it your all and play as well as you can do, then what will be will be.
“What we have done this season is set a bar for ourselves and it is about understanding how we have got here so we can build on it next season. If we don’t learn from this year we will slide back down the table.”