Rebuilding a must now Richards is out – Goode
DEAN Richards’ departure will force Newcastle Falcons to go through a rebuilding phase, says former England fly-half Andy Goode.
Richards stepped down from his role as director of rugby at Kingston Park at the end of last season after 10 years in the role.
Dave Walder, himself a former England fly-half, has been promoted from head coach to fill the void.
Goode believes that with such a youthful squad and some much change at the club, the EPCR Challenge Cup will be invaluable for adding confidence and experience to the group.
But he also admitted that it will take time for everyone to adjust.
“There is a lot of rebuilding going on at Newcastle Falcons at the minute with Dean leaving who’s been there for a good 10 years,” said Goode, who spent the final season of his 18-year career on Tyneside.
“He is a fantastic character around the place and understands European rugby like no one else. They will go through a rebuilding phase.
“They’ve got a young squad and it’ll give some of the younger players pleasant experience and hopefully competitive experience of winning games.”
Newcastle will play three-time semifinalists Connacht and 2018 finalists Cardiff in the first four rounds of the Challenge Cup next season.
The Falcons lost 27-17 at home to Glasgow Warriors in the last 16 last season, while they went one better the year before, being knocked out by eventual finalists Leicester. The competition has been used by the Falcons to blood younger players in years gone by and Goode said his old side could learn a lot by playing other European sides, particularly away from home.
He said: “Connacht’s always a great trip away but a tough place to go and win.
“The Galway Sportsgrounds there, the support they get is fantastic and it is a great night out. I am sure they’ll look forward to that. “Conversely, when Connacht go over to Newcastle, it is a tough place to win. Conditions up there in December/ January are always hard, but it is a great night out as well. “They’ll look forward to the experiences.”
■European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) is the tournament organiser for the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, featuring the very best club rugby teams from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales and – for the first time from the 2022/23 season – South Africa.