Laycock: We’ll finish strongly
MARK Laycock is confident Newcastle will finish the campaign strongly after becoming the third person to take charge of the side in less than a year.
After Dean Richards left as director of rugby last summer, Dave Walder took over but was sidelined earlier this month with Laycock, who has spent 22 years at the club having come through its academy, holding the reins for the rest of the season.
“We are a tight-knit group and we are refocusing to get back on track,” said Laycock, who started coaching in 2006 and six years later became the Falcons’ academy manager. “It is about finishing the season as strongly as we can. I have been here a long time and the club is massively close to my heart.
“I was happy to help out when asked, although I have not had much sleep. I have spoken to the board about the future, but for now it is all about the final couple of months of the season.”
Walder’s departure was unexpected and he has yet to comment on it. Newcastle allowed hooker George McGuigan to join Gloucester earlier in the season and just before Walder left, England prop Trevor Davison was released and joined Northampton.
Walder did not have a say in recruitment which is left to the board, but he would not have been happy at losing a second experienced front rower.
“The chairman spoke to the players about what was going on,” said Laycock. “There are no concerns about money: resources are nice to have but they are not everything and we are confident we can turn things around.
“Dave had been negotiating about his future and could not come to an agreement about where he would fit and was asked to step back from the squad. It is not about cutbacks but a change of voice.”
Newcastle had a slow start to the season, losing six of their first seven Premiership matches, but rallied with home victories over Exeter, Sale and Leicester before losing momentum after a three-week break and mustering just one point from the next four games.
“We felt in a good place at Christmas,” said Laycock, who became attack coach at the start of the season. “We put 45 points on Leicester but after a long break did not get the results we hoped for.
“We are putting foundation in to grow the club and make sure we are sustainable. The academy is a big part of that and the northeast is a fantastic hotbed of talent.
“What happened to Worcester and Wasps earlier in the season showed his delicate things can be. The owner here is dedicated to producing a first-class team the area can be proud of.
“We are diligent in what we do. We have never had the biggest budget but will always fight for everything. It was an emotional rollercoaster last week and I was impressed by everyone’s attitude to go above and beyond.”