Mistake to leave Welch at home says Vickers
SOON-TO-RETIRE Newcastle prop Rob Vickers believes Eddie Jones has missed a trick by not including Falcons captain Will Welch in his squad for the tour to South Africa.
Back row colleague Mark Wilson is the only Falcons representative from the Premiership’s most northerly club with Hurricanes ace Brad Shields and future Wasps team-mate, Jack Willis, preferred to Gary Graham and captain Will Welch at the back of the pack.
Graham has at least trained with England before while Wilson was capped twice against the Pumas last June. But Welch, below, despite leading Newcastle to the Premiership play-offs for the first time and the semifinals of both the Anglo-Welsh and European Challenge Cup semi-finals, continues to be overlooked.
“For me he should be in the England team,” Vickers said. “He has been at the club a long time now and is not only tremendous in his traits as a player but in his leadership as well. He brings calmness and energy to the team. Dean (Richards) gets a huge amount of credit for where we are now but from a playing side, Welchy’s the one who makes a huge difference to us.”
While Welch’s understated approach to the game has perhaps led to him losing out to more gregarious back rowers internationally, that mind-set is perfectly aligned to how Newcastle operate.
Vickers is another of the modest band of men at Kingston Park who do not seek personal glory but whose worth is known to everyone on the terraces and within the team.
Rather than pinpoint any personal achievement as a standout moment of his 200-plus appearances at the club, the 36-year-old cites making the play-offs for the first time as his career highlight.
“It is fantastic that I’ll be able to walk away from the club with us being in the top tier of Europe next year, the top four in the Premiership and whatever else lies beyond.
“I think to be able to retire with the club in the position it is now is the highlight of my career.”
Fellow Newcastle and front rower Scott Lawson will also retire at the end of the season. The 36-yearold hooker, who won the last of his 47 Scotland caps against Wales in February, will become director of rugby at the University of St Andrews this summer.