Exeter programme 2022

GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP | NEWCASTLE FALCONS V EXETER CHIEFS | SUNDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2022

2

the teams
MIKE BROWN
TOM PENNY
GEORGE WACOKECOKE
MATIAS ORLANDO
NATHAN EARLE
WILL HAYDON-WOOD
CAMERON NORDLI-KELEMETI
ADAM BROCKLEBANK
GEORGE MCGUIGAN
TREVOR DAVISON
GREG PETERSON
SEAN ROBINSON
WILL WELCH (CAPTAIN)
CONNOR COLLETT
CALLUM CHICK
JAMIE BLAMIRE
CONRAD CADE
MARK TAMPIN
ROB FARRAR
JOSH BASHAM
JOEL HODGSON
LUTHER BURRELL
TOM PENNY
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
15 JOSH HODGE
14 OLLY WOODBURN
13 IAN WHITTEN
12 TOM HENDRICKSON
11 TOM O’FLAHERTY
10 JOE SIMMONDS (CAPTAIN)
9 SAM MAUNDER
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
ALEC HEPBURN
JACK INNARD
PATRICK SCHICKERLING
JANNES KIRSTEN
DAFYDD JENKINS
SAM SKINNER
DON ARMAND
RICHARD CAPSTICK
16 JACK YEANDLE
17 BILLY KEAST
18 MARCUS STREET
19 LEWIS PEARSON
20 SANTIAGO GRONDONA
21 JACK MAUNDER
22 HARVEY SKINNER
23 FACUNDO CORDERO
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE:
ASSISTANT REFEREES:
TELEVISION MATCH OFFICIAL:
CITING OFFICER:
CHRISTOPHE RIDLEY
DAN JONES, WAYNE FALLA
CLAIRE HODNETT
JOHN BYETT
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
3

4

DEAN RICHARDS
Falcons players celebrate their 15-14 win at Exeter in November
G
ood afternoon and
thank you for
coming along to
today’s game, as
we welcome our
visitors from Exeter Chiefs.
Our victory down at Sandy Park
back in November was a game in
which we showed a huge degree
of grit, and the prospect of
recording a home-and-away
double over a top side like Exeter
would be a great way to get things
back on track from a results
perspective.
Following our game away at
Bristol we have had a bye
weekend due to the odd number
of teams in the Premiership this
season, which has been a great
opportunity for everybody to
refresh and re-focus going into the
remainder of the campaign.
I’m sure by now most of you will
have seen the news about our
club captain Mark Wilson
announcing his retirement from
rugby.
This can’t have been an easy
decision for Mark, but I want to
take this opportunity to put on
record my own personal thanks
for everything he has done for the
club during well over a decade
here.
Having worked closely with him as
a senior player, he is always
somebody who would put the team
first. His incredible work ethic will
have been an inspiration for those
around him, and it
was fantastic to see his abilities
eventually being recognised by
England.
I know our supporters will share
the same level of thanks and
appreciation for everything Mark
has done for the Falcons, and he
will always be welcome here.
As an academy player who has
gone on to play in a Rugby World
Cup final he is a great example,
and we are fortunate at the club to
have some outstanding talent
coming through who will hopefully
follow in his foot-steps.
Our Under-18s went into last
weekend’s game at Northampton
knowing that a victory would see
them finishing top of the
Premiership Rugby Academy
northern group for the first ever
time, and although that game
ultimately ended in defeat they
have still shown a huge amount of
ability during the season.
That pipeline of homegrown talent
is central to everything we are
doing as a club, and over the past
few weeks we have
seen boys like Louie Johnson
and Mark Dormer getting
capped by England Under-20s,
as well as Matt Deehan scoring
for Scotland Under-20s.
Jamie Blamire, Adam Radwan
and Callum Chick have been
involved with England’s Six
Nations preparations, with
Marco Fuser coming on for Italy
in their Six Nations opener away
to Paris. Hopefully they will all
go on to have further
involvement as the tournament
progresses, because it always
gives us a lot of pride to have
our players showcased on that
stage.
Once again, thank you for your
support today, and I hope you
enjoy the game.
DEAN
RICHARDS
Director of rugby
5

CLUB NEWS
DOUBLE CENTURION WILSON RETIRES
Having come through the club’s academy and gone on to play in a Rugby World Cup final,
Newcastle Falcons captain Mark Wilson this week announced his retirement from rugby.
The 32-year-old Cumbrian scored 42 tries in his 237 games for the Falcons, saying: “The
overriding message I want to put across is just to thank everyone, by which I mean my
family, my team-mates, my coaches, all the staff at the club and our supporters.
DEEHAN SCORES
FOR SCOTS
Newcastle Falcons' Matt Deehan scored a
try on his second appearance for Scotland
Under-20s last Friday. The 19-year-old
back-five forward started at No.8 in the
26-13 loss against Wales in Colwyn Bay,
scoring after 14 minutes.
ar to
Pulman
Newcastle Falcons prop Mark Dormer and
fly-half Louie Johnson, meanwhile, both
came on as replacements for England
Under-20s the same night, when they were
beaten 6-0 by Italy in Treviso.
SATURDAY NIGHT
FEVER
Newcastle Falcons' final EPCR Challenge
Cup pool game against Zebre Parma has
been confirmed for Saturday April 9.
“The Falcons fans have always been great with me, and one of the biggest buzzes I’ve had
was coming out to play in front of a full Kingston Park Stadium. I’ll still be here supporting
the team, and I’d love my son to come along and see where I used to play.”
Newcastle Falcons chairman Semore Kurdi said: “Mark typifies what it means to be a
Newcastle Falcon, as someone who has come through our academy and gone on to
achieve everything he has.
“He always put the team above personal gain, he has been an incredible player and leader
here for well over a decade and it gave us a huge amount of pride to see a homegrown
talent recognised on the international stage when he was called up by England.
“I want to personally thank him for everything he has contributed to the club, and to rugby in
our region. He will rightly be regarded as a Newcastle Falcons great who is always welcome
here, and he will be an inspiration to the many talented young players currently in our
academy system.
“We’ve got a wealth of highly-promising players working their way up our pathway which
leaves us in great health for the future, and that’s thanks in no small part to the example
Mark has given them.”
The Kingston Park clash will kick off at
8pm, and is not being televised live in the
UK. Season ticket members are reminded
that the home game against Zebre on
Saturday April 9 is included in their
2021-22 package.
THIRD PLACE FOR
U18S
Newcastle Falcons Under-18s finished their
regular-season campaign at third in the
Premiership Rugby Academy League's
northern group.
Last Saturday's 37-19 defeat at
Northampton Saints ended a three-game
winning run, with the Saints having led
22-7 at half-time in the Franklin's Gardens
encounter. Newcastle Falcons will now
move into finals day in Worcester on
Sunday February 27 where they will play
Saracens, who finished third in the
southern group.
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
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Watch our best homegrown talent proudly
representing the region on the national stage
with a 2022-23 Newcastle Falcons season
ticket membership.
Existing season ticket members renewing in
February can enjoy a 25% discount compared
to match-by-match prices over the 15-game
package, with that rate including a credit for
the cancelled Boxing Day game against Sale
Sharks.
New season ticket members booking in
February can still enjoy a 15% discount
compared to match-by-match prices, with that
figure moving to 10% for bookings made from
March onwards.
With the ultimate goal of preserving
professional rugby in the North of England,
we’re dedicated to fostering our regional
talent and giving them the opportunity to
showcase their ability at Premiership level.
This, combined with the quality players that
have been added to the squad from further
afield, means 2022-23 is shaping up to be an
exciting season, with season ticket
memberships by far the most cost-effective
way to enjoy the action.
Visit www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk to make
your booking, pop into the ticket office during
opening hours or call 0191 214 5588 (option
1).
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10
@FalconsRugby

CONOR KENNY
Prop, 25
Irish prop Conor joined Newcastle
Falcons from Connacht, having
made 11 appearances for the
province. The former Ireland
Under-18s, 19s and 20s
international is a native of the
Buccaneers club in Athlone, and
plays on the tight-head side.
GEORGE MERRICK
Lock, 28
George joins the Falcons
from Worcester Warriors. The
Carshalton-born player is a
former England Under-20s
player who won the age-group
Six Nations title in 2012, going
on to make his senior debut for
Harlequins the following year.
Merrick made 100 appearances
for Quins before being signed by
French giants Clermont in 2020
– playing 11 times in his season
with Les Jaunards before moving
to Worcester for the 2020-21
campaign.
OLLIE LINDSAY-HAGUE
Wing/full-back, 30
Ollie is a two-time Olympian who
joined on an initial four-month
deal in August. Having played 61
games for Harlequins, scoring ten
tries for the London club, in 2016
he concentrated full-time on his
international sevens career.
Helping Team GB to an Olympic
silver medal in Rio 2016, Lindsay-
Hague featured again in the Tokyo
games during 2021, his Team GB
side missing out in the bronze medal
match against Argentina. A Sevens
Rugby World Cup finalist who has
also represented England in the
Commonwealth Games, Lindsay-
Hague can play across the back
three in 15s, where he is renowned
for his pace and footwork.
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
RICHARD PALFRAMAN
Prop, 27
Richard Palframan joined
Newcastle Falcons in the summer
of 2021. The South-African-born
tight-head was educated in Cape
Town and played for Natal Sharks
Under-19s before moving to
England in 2012 to join London
Irish, for whom he made 28
senior appearances. Spending a
single season at London Scottish
before joining Worcester in 2018,
his two seasons at Sixways saw
him making 43 appearances for
the Warriors before making the
decision to join Newcastle.
11

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RUGBY EXCELLENCE
PROGRAMME
Falcons Community and Tynemet Rugby Excellence
programme is a joint rugby and education partnership, where
our players/learners gain an NCFE Level Three Extended
Diploma in Sport and physical activity qualification.
We run a boys’ programme and girls’ programme for players
aged 16-18, and have had an exciting first six months which
we would love to update you on.
The boys’ team compete in the Premier Association of
Colleges (AoC) league, the highest level of competition
outside of the ACE league. These fixtures are a crucial part of
the programme, as it allows our students to play against the
best players in the north, allowing for incredible development
opportunities on a weekly basis.
Our most recent result was a 17-17 draw against Myerscough
College away, which shows the calibre of the squad we are
building. At present we have a very young side, with the
majority of players in their first year of the programme. We
envisage next year will be an exciting time as we build on the
foundation created by our exciting and aspirational squad this
year.
Next season we are looking to develop a squad of 55 boys
and 23 girls, which would allow us to enter a team into both
the premier AoC league, as well as a regional AoC
competition, to ensure the best rugby opportunities for all
players.
This course allows players an insight into life as professional
rugby players, as our students experience high-quality rugby
training sessions four days per week, strength and
conditioning training, post-match recovery sessions, video
analysis, game reviews, nutrition workshops, personal
reviews and squad trips such as Falcons away matches and
off-site training. We have recently been on a team-building
exercise at Albermarle Barracks, and squad training at
Carrington followed by watching the Falcons v Sale Sharks
match at the AJ Bell stadium.
Our Falcons Community girls’ programme has provided individual
development for players, which has resulted in three being
selected in the North East & Cumbria Centre of Excellence, as
well as two players being selected in the Huddersfield Giants
Super League Squad for their off-season.
The academic qualification is at the forefront of our programme,
and we build the rugby around this. The NCFE Level 3 extended
diploma programme gives our learners and players the skills,
knowledge and physical understanding of the sport and physical
activity sector. Learners can gain up to 168 UCAS points from this
qualification, allowing them to progress onto university,
apprenticeship, and full-time employment.
Topics on the course include sports coaching, anatomy and
physiology, sports nutrition, and fitness testing.
Learners are provided with opportunities to gain vocational
experience through the Newcastle Rugby Foundation community
programmes such as holiday camps, school and match-day
festivals. Our learners are also the match-day ball crew for the
Falcons first team.
If you would like more information regarding education, please
email ben.pollock@tynecoast.ac.uk .
14
@FalconsRugby

Another team
you can count on
Nuffield Health Newcastle Hospital
We’ve been providing outstanding private healthcare to people in the
North East for over 40 years. You can trust our team of dedicated experts
who offer a wide range of treatments including:
• Hip and knee surgery
• Joint preservation surgery
• Cataract surgery
• Neck and spinal surgery
• Men’s health – bladder and prostate
• Women’s health – breast screening.
To find out more call 0808 149 3239
or visit nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/newcastle-upon-tyne

NORTHUMBERLAND
rugby union
TEAM OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to December’s winners, Percy Park Panthers.
The Panthers are a newly-formed Women’s and Girls’ team who
have seen their numbers grow since lockdown - with just
four attending training sessions at the beginning, to now
getting consistently 20 plus.
A few weeks ago 30 players made themselves available for
selection for their next fixture - an achievement not many teams
could beat!
Head coach Andy Wilkinson said: “The thing that makes
this team so special is the commitment both players and
coaches have with regard to good mental health, which is at
its core. There is a strong sense of togetherness throughout
the squad which emulates a genuine feeling that you are never
alone.”
This is apt because, as the history boffins out there might
well know, Percy Park RFC held the first ever international
7s competition in the world, and there could be no
better way of commemorating the event than
rekindling the competition.
Teams from all over the country will be competing in elite
men’s, social men’s and women’s competitions, with prize
money, beer festivals, food courts and live
music throughout the day. To enter a team, visit Percy
Park’s facebook page.
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY TEAMS
Well done to Percy Park Panthers and Andy Wilkinson
for nominating them. They win 20 tickets to a Falcons game of
their choice.
Nominations are open for January. Has your team won every
game? Gone above and beyond? Managed to score more points
than any other team at your club? Raised money for charity?
Supported an injured player? We want to know, and you
could be in with a chance of winning 20 tickets to a Newcastle
Falcons game!
Please email deangray@northumberlandrfu.co.uk.
Northumberland Under-18s
After a lay-off of very nearly two years the County season is
back up and running, and Northumberland’s results
have been impressive in the first half of the
season with the County’s younger age groups all
enjoying great success.
A full write-up of results will appear here at the end of the
season and more information, as always,
including match highlights, can be found on the
County’s website (northumberlandrugbyunion.com) as
well across its social media channels.
Fixtures
Senior Men: Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 1
North
May 7 Northumberland v Yorkshire (h)
May 14 Durham v Northumberland (a)
May 21 Northumberland v Leicestershire (h)
150 NOT-OUT FOR PERCY PARK!
In keeping with the Percy Park theme, the club also celebrates
its 150th Anniversary this year and is planning a raft of
celebrations to mark the event, including the Percy Park 1872 7s
on Saturday May 21.
Senior Women: Gill Burns County Championship Division 1
May 7 Durham v Northumberland (a)
May 14 Northumberland v Leicestershire (h)
May 12 Lancashire v Northumberland (a)
For further information visit northumberlandrugbyunion.com.

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OFFICIAL CLUB PARTNERS
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MATCH
HOSPITALITY
Experience some good old Northern hospitality!
Here at Kingston Park, we offer first-class corporate hospitality hosted by our welcoming and friendly team.
From three-course fine dining and live cooking to a traditional carvery and executive box hire with
unrivalled views, our corporate guests can enjoy Northern hospitality at its best.
Contact our team to find out more about the packages we offer on 0191 214 2892 or
corporatesales@newcastle-falcons.co.uk .
Or visit our website on www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
19

Will
Haydon-Wood
20
N
ewcastle
Falcons’
fly-half
factory has
produced
another gem, with Will
Haydon-Wood taking to life
at number ten.
The 21-year-old is the latest
cab off the rank for a club
renowned for growing their
own, with the academy
graduate relishing his firstteam
exposure as he prepares
to make his 13th senior
appearance.
“The first involvement I had
with the Falcons was
being involved in an
Under-15s tournament, and it
was a bit of an eye-opener in
terms of the level,” says the
fleet-footed stand-off.
“That was the point when
I thought ‘I want to be
a professional player
for Newcastle Falcons’,
because you’d come over
on the minibus from
Sedbergh and maybe catch
a glimpse of the first-team
squad training. I knew I
wanted to follow in their
footsteps, and from being a
kid idolising those guys it
does feel weird now to
think I’m pulling on the
No.10 shirt for the Falcons
or just being involved in
Premiership games for them.”
His accent might not eschew
this region’s tones, but the
sentiment certainly does, with
Haydon-Wood explaining his
circuitous route to Kingston
Park.
@FalconsRugby
“I was born in Reading so I’m a
bit of a southern boy at heart,
but my family are originally from
the Wirral, and we moved up
there when I was about five,” he
says.
“My first rugby club was Caldy,
who are in National One at the
moment, and that was my
boyhood team. I then left to
board at Sedbergh School when
I was 11 because they offered
me a partial scholarship after I’d
been to one of their summer
camps, and I played schools
rugby until I got picked up by
the Falcons, then juggled the
two.
“I always played rugby in the
winter and cricket in the
summer, although I wasn’t
much use at cricket, really. I
was just a slogger who would
get sent to go and field at fine
leg, but I enjoyed playing both,
which I guess is what it’s all
about.”
Keeping a keen eye on the
Falcons from an early age, he
says with a smile: “It’s the
classic cliché for any young flyhalf,
but Jonny Wilkinson was
the guy whose posters I’d have
on my wall.
“Because we were living in the
Wirral, whenever Newcastle
used to play away to Sale
Sharks my dad would always
get us tickets, with Sale being
our nearest Premiership club.
Invariably Jonny was either
injured or away with England
half the time, but it was still
great to go and see the games.”

Flourishing in Newcastle’s academy,
from where he earned England
Under-20s honours, Haydon-Wood
credits the Falcons’ youth coaches
with helping nurture rounded players
because of their over-arching
philosophy.
“I think the great thing about the
Falcons academy is that the
coaches are very open, and they’re
pretty hands-off in terms of dictating
too much,” he explains.
“They allow the players to go out
and express themselves,
showcasing their skills, and let guys
develop at their own pace. Not
everyone is the same, and they’re
really specific in terms of what they
see in each person and how they
can get the best out of them.
Obviously in adult rugby you have to
be a bit stricter on certain things,
which is totally understandable, but
when Falcons players are coming
through the academy they’re just
encouraged to improve their skills,
find what they’re good at and not be
restricted to any real extent.
“Anyone who ever comes and
watches the Falcons Under-18s
teams play will know what I mean,
because they always play at a high
pace and throw the ball around.
Those guys will then progress into
adult rugby and work on the other
aspects of their game, and I think
that’s a big part of the reason why
the Falcons have such a record of
producing good all-round rugby
players.”
Those first steps into senior rugby
are pivotal for any player, and
Haydon-Wood was no different.
“My first year as a professional was
when we were in the Championship,
so the only A-Team games we had
that season were against the
Scottish Super 6 clubs,” he recalls.
“I was jumping between that and
playing on dual-reg for Tynedale, as
well as training with the Falcons, but
I think it was a year which served me
well. I really enjoyed my time with
Tynedale, getting my first taste of
men’s rugby. I’d go and train there
two nights a week then play on a
Saturday, and when you think about
guys like Jamie Blamire and Chris
Harris who have come through that
route, it’s obviously a useful thing to
do.
“As a young fly-half used to playing
schoolboy and academy rugby I think
you do need that kind of tougheningup
experience of playing against
experienced heads, and just getting
used to that increased physicality.
The guys there are just playing rugby
for fun, which was another great
aspect to it, and it was a nice
environment to be involved with. In
that season I played every position in
the back line apart from scrum-half,
and it’s definitely benefited me.”
Making his all-important professional
breakthrough last season and
grabbing it with both hands, Haydon-
Wood says: “My first-team debut was
away to Castres in last season’s
Challenge Cup, when we flew in and
out to Toulouse on the day and came
away with a good win. I only got six
or seven minutes from the bench at
the end but it was great to play a
small part in that, and then my
Premiership debut was away to
Exeter at the end of last season.
“People will probably remember that
was the game where we got 70-odd
points put on us, and we had a load
of young boys making their debuts
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
or playing one of their first games. It
was a tough experience to go
through, but I think it will ultimately
stood me in good stead. It was like
‘this is the level you’ve got to be at’,
and it opened my eyes.
“I’ve loved this season, because I’ve
been able to have a few more
involvements. I’ve been in and
around a lot of the Premiership
games, I’ve made some starts, and
I’ve loved every minute of it. Bath
away was my first start, which I was
nervous for, but we managed to get
the win, and then games like Bristol
away two weeks ago was a great
experience, even though we
ultimately lost.
“As a team we showed a good bit of
heart and fight, and we just needed
that extra couple of per cent to turn
them over. They obviously had a lot
of their superstars out there but we
still did some good things, and we
can definitely build on that.”
Forming an exciting homegrown halfback
pairing with Cameron Nordli-
Kelemeti, he adds: “Cam is a year
older than me but we still came
through in roughly the same group,
and I’d also played schoolboy rugby
against him when he was at Durham.
“He’s a great player and his try at
Bristol was pretty special, so it’s great
having livewire guys like that at nine
to play your game off.
“In terms of what is ahead of us
against Exeter, you know you’re
always going to get a big physical
pack, and they’re a bit of a
powerhouse. We showed by beating
them down there in November that
we can match them or even better
them in that aspect, and with a good
home crowd behind us I just think
that could be the difference.”
21

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JOSH BASHAM
FIRST TEAM SQU
JAMIE BLAMIRE
ADAM BROCKLEBANK
MIKE BROWN
BACK ROW
HOOKER
PROP
FULL-BACK
17/4/99
194CM, 104KG
ENGLAND
U20
22/12/97
185CM,
113KG
ENGLAND
6/9/95
188CM, 125KG
ENGLAND
STUDENTS
FULL-BACK
4/9/85
183CM, 93KG
ENGLAND
LUTHER BURRELL
MATEO CARRERAS
CALLUM CHICK
CONNOR COLLETT
CENTRE
WING
BACK ROW
BACK ROW
06/12/88
191CM,
104KG
ENGLAND
WING
17/12/99
168CM, 78KG
ARGENTINA
25/11/96
193CM,
105KG
ENGLAND
BACK ROW
5/2/96
185CM,
103KG
BRETT CONNON
KYLE COOPER
MATTHEW DALTON
TREVOR DAVISON
FLY-HALF
PROP
LOCK
PROP
ROB FARRAR
29/8/96
176CM, 93KG
IRELAND U20
10/2/89
178CM, 113KG
SOUTH AFRICA
U20
16/11/98
198CM,
115KG
IRELAND
U20
20/8/92
188CM, 116KG
ENGLAND
NATHAN EARLE
ROB FARRAR
CARL FEARNS
MARCO FUSER
WING
LOCK/BACK ROW
BACK ROW
LOCK
24
25/9/94
185CM, 99KG
ENGLAND XV
16/3/00
190CM, 103KG
ENGLAND
U20
28/5/89
191CM,
122KG
ENGLAND A
9/3/91
198CM,
122KG
ITALY

AD
GARY GRAHAM
JOEL HODGSON
CONOR KENNY
OLLIE LINDSAY-HAGUE
BACK ROW
FLY-HALF
PROP
WING/FULL-BACK
BACK ROW
29/8/92
187CM,
112KG
SCOTLAND
1/8/92
176CM, 84KG
ENGLAND
U19
25/7/96
185CM,
125KG
IRELAND U20
8/10/90
180CM, 80KG
GREAT BRITAIN 7S
PETE LUCOCK
CHARLIE MADDISON
TOM MARSHALL
GEORGE MCGUIGAN
CENTRE
HOOKER
BACK ROW
HOOKER
27/11/92
183CM, 98KG
24/6/91
188CM,
109KG
20/10/99
190CM, 99KG
SCOTLAND
U20
30/3/93
183CM,
110KG
ENGLAND A
GEORGE MERRICK
WILL MONTGOMERY
LOGOVI’I MULIPOLA
CAMERON NORDLI-KELEMETI
LOCK
LOCK/BACK ROW
PROP
SCRUM-HALF
4/10/92
201CM,
123KG
ENGLAND
U20
2/2/00
195CM,
98KG
ENGLAND
U19
11/3/87
192CM,
128KG
SAMOA
20/9/99
177CM, 84KG
ENGLAND
U18
MATIAS ORLANDO
RICHARD PALFRAMAN
TOM PENNY
GREG PETERSON
CENTRE
PROP
FULL-BACK
LOCK
14/11/91
183CM, 94KG
ARGENTINA
20/12/93
185CM,
120KG
13/10/94
179CM, 92KG
26/3/91
203CM,
117KG
USA
25

ADAM RADWAN
FIRST TEAM SQU
SEAN ROBINSON
LOUIS SCHREUDER
ROBBIE SMITH
WING
LOCK/BACK ROW
SCRUM-HALF
HOOKER
30/12/97
179CM, 86KG
ENGLAND
8/2/91
193CM,
112KG
ENGLAND
STUDENTS
25/4/90
184CM, 82KG
SOUTH
AFRICA
26/9/98
175CM,
110KG
SCOTLAND
U20
BEN STEVENSON
SAM STUART
ALEX TAIT
MARK TAMPIN
WING/CENTRE
SCRUM-HALF
WING/FULL-BACK
PROP
19/7/98
189CM, 96KG
ENGLAND
STUDENTS
27/9/91
173CM, 83KG
ENGLAND
U20
18/3/88
183CM, 94KG
ENGLAND
U20
20/1/92
185CM,
120KG
PHILIP VAN DER WALT
GEORGE WACOKECOKE
WILL WELCH
MARK WILSON
BACK-ROW
CENTRE/WING
BACK ROW
BACK ROW
14/7/89
193CM, 110KG
23/10/95
180CM, 92KG
ENGLAND
STUDENTS
3/4/90
192CM,
108KG
ENGLAND
U20
6/10/89
191CM, 112KG
ENGLAND
MAX WRIGHT
MICHAEL YOUNG
CENTRE
SCRUM-HALF
To sponsor a player email
corporatesales@newcastle-falcons.co.uk
26
24/5/97
188CM, 100KG
ENGLAND U20
31/12/88
176CM, 83KG
ENGLAND A

AD
DEAN RICHARDS
DAVE WALDER
MICKY WARD
NICK EASTER
DIRECTOR OF RUGBY
HEAD COACH
FORWARDS COACH
DEFENCE COACH
SCOTT MACLEOD
MARK LAYCOCK
TOBY FLOOD
JOHN STOKOE
LINE-OUT COACH
SKILLS COACH
KICKING & SKILLS COACH
TEAM MANAGER
KEVIN MCSHANE
LEWIS WILLIAMS
TIM PAYNE
STEVEN BREMNER
HEAD OF ATHLETIC
PERFORMANCE
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
COACH
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
COACH
HEAD PERFORMANCE
ANALYST
MATT HODKINSON
RHYS GRIFFITHS
ANDY SHEA
DERMOT AUSTIN
PERFORMANCE ANALYST
HEAD PHYSIO
PHYSIO
PHYSIO
TOBY TREMLETT
RACHEL SCURFIELD
ALAN BASKERVILLE
PHYSIO
LEAD DOCTOR
KIT MANAGER
27

JAMES BLACKETT
SCRUM-HALF
SENIOR ACADEM
PHIL BRANTINGHAM
PROP
CONRAD CADE
PROP
OSCAR CAUDLE
PROP
22/10/01
175CM, 79KG
ENGLAND U18
2/10/01
183CM,
116KG
ENGLAND
U20
27/1/97
183CM, 107KG
ENGLAND
STUDENTS
14/10/00
189CM,
130KG
MATT DEEHAN
LOCK/BACK ROW
MARK DORMER
PROP
OLLIE FLETCHER
HOOKER
EWAN GREENLAW
CENTRE
4/10/02
190CM, 102KG
ENGLAND
U20
16/9/02
185CM,
104KG
ENGLAND
U18
9/9/02
183CM,
103KG
ENGLAND
U18
14/3/03
177CM, 98KG
ENGLAND
U18
WILL HAYDON-WOOD
FLY-HALF
LOUIE JOHNSON
FLY-HALF
ZACH KERR
WING
FREDDIE LOCKWOOD
BACK ROW/LOCK
27/10/00
178CM, 85KG
ENGLAND
U20
13/6/03
185CM, 89KG
ENGLAND
U18
13/12/99
180CM, 95KG
31/12/00
188CM,
113KG
ENGLAND
U19
CHIDERA OBONNA
WING/CENTRE
MORGAN PASSMAN
WING
GUY PEPPER
BACK ROW
IWAN STEPHENS
WING/FULL-BACK
28
18/10/00
185CM, 90KG
ENGLAND
U17
30/9/99
183CM, 102KG
ENGLAND
U18
JOAN MILNE
15/4/03
190CM, 99KG
ENGLAND
U18
24/3/02
170CM, 80KG

Y SQUAD
MARCUS TIFFEN
BACK ROW
MATTHEW WARD
WING
3/9/02
184CM, 93KG
30/9/01
183CM, 92KG
ENGLAND
U20
JOAN MILNE
MARK LAYCOCK JAMES PONTON PJ BUTLER
JACK HAYES
ACADEMY MANAGER ACADEMY HEAD COACH ACADEMY COACH
ACADEMY PERFORMANCE
ANALYST
MICHAEL FERGUSON
SHAUN MCLAREN
FRAZER BELL
CAIN WILKINSON
ACADEMY HEAD STRENGTH &
CONDITIONING COACH
ACADEMY STRENGTH &
CONDITIONING COACH
LEAD ACADEMY PHYSIO
ACADEMY PHYSIO
ROZ LYALL
ACADEMY & MEDICAL
ADMINISTRATOR
To sponsor a player email
corporatesales@newcastle-falcons.co.uk
29

YOU R
YOU R
GET
ER
TOGET H SQUA D
OF
SPONSOR PROUD
30
THE SPIRIT OF RUGBY

FROM THE PRESS BOX
By Mark Smith
Newcastle Falcons media manager
It’s all glamour working for a Premiership rugby team
– especially on an away game. Here’s an edited
insight into life on the road, from our recent trip to Bristol
Bears.
FRIDAY – 1300: Team run done, team announced,
it’s time to meet at Newcastle Airport for the Easyjet
flight down to Bristol. The players’ bags by this time
have already left with kit manager Alan ‘The
Hound’ Baskerville in the kit van, so they’re at the hotel
for when we arrive. Performance analyst Matt
Hodkinson ferries most of the coaching staff to the
airport before driving the club medical car down to
Bristol. This car is needed at every away game in case
any players have to go to hospital during the
weekend. The players make their own way to the
airport, hand luggage only, and we meet at Gate 2. It’s
a busy flight, and with tickets booked in alphabetical
order I’m sat next to match-day doctor, Dean
Shipsey.
FRIDAY – 1700: The flight lands on time and our
team bus is waiting for us at Bristol Airport, with
Sunderland AFC driver Mark at the wheel. The rushhour
traffic is pretty bad, which means a delayed
arrival at the hotel. The scheduled team meeting is
cancelled (the squad had met earlier in the day
anyway) and after collecting our kit bags it’s straight
in to dinner. As usual, two options – fajitas or pasta.
FRIDAY – 2000: Post-dinner our head performance
analyst Steve Bremner normally puts the BT
Sport Gallagher Premiership game on the big screen
in the team meeting room, but there are two games on
and a lively debate over which one to watch.
Gloucester v London Irish goes on in the meeting room,
with England Under-20s’ game v Scotland Under-20s
in the medical room. It’s a pretty even split as to
numbers watching each. Then it’s off to bed. Gone
are the days of the backroom team hitting the town the
night before an away game, as was the case when I
first started this job 19 years ago. It’s Countdown and
a couple of episodes of Bullseye for me before lightsout
at midnight!
SATURDAY – 0730: The usual breakfast buffet in the
team dining room, which for me means grilled bacon,
scrambled eggs and beans on toast. There’s also
porridge, cold meats, fruit and smoothies for those
who want it. The players with young kids at home are
invariably the first down on a morning.
SATURDAY – 1015: Team walk-throughs, normally in
the grounds of the hotel, and then in for pre-match
meal. The early kick-off throws our usual meal timings
a little, but this is typically pasta Bolognese and veg.
I’m already away by this stage, having gone in the
medical car to Bristol Airport to pick up skills
coach Mark Laycock, who has flown down from
Edinburgh after watching the Scotland Under-20s
v England Under-20s game. The kit is all set up by
the time we arrive at the stadium at 1100 – The
Hound is an early bird, to say the least!
SATURDAY – 1200: Dean Richards does his
pre-match TV interview at the stadium, the players
arrive half an hour later on the bus and it’s into the
game. Sadly, a 37-21 defeat. Dean and Will
Haydon-Wood do post-match media duties, the nonplaying
players help put the kit on the van and it’s
back on the bus for a six-hour drive home.
SATURDAY – 1700: The timing of the Six
Nations means we can actually watch an England
game for once, and the players eat their postmatch
meal (pizza in this case) as we watch
Scotland v England on the TVs on the bus. There
are a few Scots on board, who enjoyed that
result! The usual midway stop at Woodall Services
near Sheffield allows the backroom team an
opportunity to take on board some more pop, crisps
and sweets as they pore over the video of the
game, before a 2300 arrival at Kingston Park to
collect our cars and drive home. Oh, the glamour
of an away trip!
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
51

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www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
37

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
Kingsley Hyland’s regular stroll down
Memory Lane sees him recalling games
from the club’s archives 40, 15 and 10
years ago.
40 YEARS AGO – FEBRUARY 20, 1982
Steve Bainbridge
Wise to the antics of their players, the RFU ensured
that at Twickenham dinners the England players were
split up, but in the Grand Hotel in Paris the entire
playing contingent shared two tables. It did not take
long before the bread rolls became airborne, the
entire contents of one of the England table were
tipped onto the floor and a French official was doused
in sauce.
The RFU President was not impressed, later stating:
“This is not the sort of behaviour we want. I was the
greatest wrecker in my time, but you have to wreck
without upsetting people.”
The tour de force, however, came from Newport prop
Colin Smart, who managed to confuse the aftershave
gifted by the French Federation to the players with
champagne, and having downed a glass-full, spent
the night in hospital. Smart pleaded ignorance,
saying: “I don’t drink aftershave. Drinks and glasses
went flying, but that is normal at a rugby dinner. It is
par for the course.”
Claiming a lack of familiarity with champagne he went
on: “I flaked out after the dinner and spent the night in
hospital, but I’m okay now and I’ll be back in training
tomorrow. I think part of it was delayed shock after
handling the ball for the first time this season.”
The Five Nations Home International Championship
reached its halfway stage on this weekend 40 years
ago as England travelled to Paris to play France.
Gosforth were celebrating their newest English cap
as Newcastle born lock Steve Bainbridge made his
international debut.
England went into the game on the back of a 9-9
draw at Murrayfield and a 15-16 defeat at home to
Ireland. England won surprisingly comfortably,
27-15, with tries from John Carlton and Clive
Woodward, both converted by Dusty Hare, who also
kicked five penalties.
England went on to beat Wales 17-7 in their final
game to finish runners-up to champions Ireland.
Bainbridge was singled out for praise at the formal
post-match dinner by his captain Steve Smith, but
the dinner itself has gone down in rugby folklore for
entirely different reasons.
Smart’s account was contradicted by the RFU doctor,
who claimed that Smart did not make it to the end of
the dinner. He said: “We had got through the hor’s
d’ouevres and the curried saddle of lamb when Colin
collapsed. I couldn’t very well treat him in the middle
of the official dinner, so I took him to hospital. There
was certainly some boisterousness and high spirits at
the dinner. These official dinners do go on a bit, but
what happened was not the sort of thing one should
do in front of one’s hosts. But I don’t think it needs a
national apology to the French.”
Domestically, a below-strength Gosforth warmed up
for their fourth-round John Player Cup tie at London
Scottish the following week with a 16-3 home victory
against Wilmslow, but the win came at a cost.
England Under-23 flanker John Butler picked up a
back injury which made him doubtful for the cup
game. In the event, the injury proved far more serious
and effectively ended his highly promising playing
career.
38
@FalconsRugby

Lee Dickson
through scrum-half Mark McMillan, but Jon
Golding’s tracking back had forced him wide,
and Mark Van Gisbergen missed with the
conversion.
The Falcons secure the bonus point after 76
minutes. South African No.8 Russell Winter won
a turnover and offloaded out of the tackle to
centre Mark Mayerhofler to score, with Crichton
converting. Crichton then repeated Burke’s firsthalf
effort when he intercepted in his own 22 and
ran the length, waiting in the in-goal area for
McDonnell to arrive and gratefully receive the
scoring pass.
The teams that day were as follows:
Scrum-half Ian Ramage picked up a knee injury
playing for the Greyhounds (Gosforth’s second
team), and whilst he recovered from that injury,
he too suffered a career-ending injury shortly
after. He took up refereeing in Scotland and
made it to the international panel, whilst his son
Peter was a talented footballer, making 51 first
team appearances for Newcastle United before
being transferred to Queens Park Rangers.
15 YEARS AGO – FEBRUARY 23,
Sitting in ninth place in the Premiership going
into their home game with fourth-placed Wasps,
the Falcons were far from clear of relegation
danger, having won just six of 16 matches. They
did, however, take a major step towards safety
as they upset the form book in a comprehensive
37-11 victory in front of an impressive (and
impressed) crowd of 9,664.
Newcastle: M.Burke (capt); T.May; J.Noon;
M.Mayerhofler (rep. T.Dillon 78); John Rudd
(rep. J.Shaw 9); L.Crichton; L.Dickson;
J.McDonnell; M.Thompson (rep. R.Batty 76);
M.Ward (rep. J.Golding 57); M.Sorenson;
J.Oakes (rep. A.Buist 66); G.Parling (rep.
B.Wilson 71); B.Woods; R.Winter.
Wasps: M.Van Gisbergen; R.Hoadley (rep.
E.Thrower 40); F.Waters; J.Staunton; T.Voyce;
D.Walder (rep. J.Brooks 59); M.McMillan;
T.Payne; J.Ward (rep. R.Webber 59); P.Bracken
(rep. N.Adams 75); S.Shaw; R.Birkett (rep.
G.Skivington 54); D.Leo; J.O’Connor; L.Dallaglio
(capt).
10 YEARS AGO – FEBRUARY 19,
2012
Matt Burke got the ball rolling with a length-ofthe-field
interception try after just two minutes. A
Dave Walder penalty narrowed the gap to two
points, but the lead was extended through two
Loki Crichton penalties (11-3).
With dominance at the set piece and breakdown,
the Falcons’ second try came when scrum-half
Lee Dickson secured a turnover before giving
the scoring pass to Jamie Noon. The final score
of the first half came from a second Walder
penalty as the teams turned around at 16-6.
The Falcons began the second half as they had
the first, courtesy of a Matt Thompson try
following a Joe Shaw break. Shaw, now the
head coach at Saracens, found loosehead Joe
McDonnell in support, and he fed hooker
Thompson, who dotted down in the right-hand
corner. Crichton landed an impressive
conversion from the touchline.
With 12 minutes remaining Wasps scored a try
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
The Falcons’ revival under interim director of
rugby Gary Gold gathered pace with a backs-tothe-wall
19-10 victory over London Irish at
Kingston Park.
Jimmy Gopperth put the Falcons ahead with a
penalty on five minutes, but in a turgid opening
quarter Irish cancelled this out with a penalty
from Tom Homer after 13 minutes.
Worse was to follow for the Falcons when they
lost control of the ball at a lineout. Although
Delon Armitages’s kick was charged down, Matt
Garvey seized on the loose ball and fed centre
Jonathan Spratt, who offloaded to Sailosi
Tagicakibau who ran in for the try, which was
superbly converted from the touchline by Homer.
Thereafter the Falcons’ defence remained firm,
and a Gopperth drop-goal three minutes before
the break saw the home side trailing 6-10.
Gopperth’s 47th minute penalty narrowed the
gap to a single point,
39

ut what seemed at the time to be the game’s
crucial moment came on the hour mark when the
Falcons’ South African flanker Adriaan Fondse
received a red card from referee JP Doyle for
punching Armitage.
Within ten minutes, however, the Falcons were
ahead, and Armitage was again involved as his
attempted pass was picked off by home wing
Ryan Shortland who ran in from his own half for a
try, inevitably converted by Gopperth.
Gopperth’s third successful penalty three minutes
from time took Irish out of bonus point range,
although there was still time for Jon Golding and
Richard Thorpe to earn yellow cards for
exchanging blows.
Written off as relegation bankers prior to Gold’s
arrival, the Falcons moved to within six points of
11th placed Wasps, who they were scheduled to
meet at Wycombe on the last day of the season.
One obvious fact was that the team was
developing a harder edge. In addition to the red
and yellow cards, in the next home game, a
creditable draw against league leaders
Harlequins, three Falcons players were cited.
It is worth noting that only Jon Golding, a 52nd
minute replacement, survived from the team
that had played Wasps just five years earlier.
The teams were as follows:
Newcastle: G.Goosen; T.Bedford (rep.
R.Sheriffe 74); J.Helleur; J.Fitzpatrick;
R.Shortland; J.Gopperth; C.Pilgrim (rep.
W.Chudley 60); G.Shiells (rep. J.Golding 52);
R.Vickers; E.Murray; A.Fondse; T.Swinson;
A.Hogg (rep. A.Wells 79); W.Welch (rep. T.Tu’ifua
69); M.Wilson.
London Irish: D.Armitage; T.Homer (rep.
M.Yarde 74); J.Joseph; J.Spratt; S.Tagicakibau;
D.Bowden (rep. A.Jarvis 71); D.Allinson (rep.
R.Sampson 7); M.Lahiff (rep. C.Dermody
70); D.Paice (rep. J.Buckland 63);
F.Rautenbach (rep. P.Ion 62); N.Kennedy;
B.Evans; (rep. E.Siggery 40) M.Garvey; K.Roche;
R.Thorpe.
Ryan Shortland
40
@FalconsRugby

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41

FIXTURES AND RESULTS
KEY: GP = Gallagher Premiership, ECC = European Challenge Cup,
PRC = Premiership Rugby Cup, F= Friendly.
(HOME GAMES IN CAPITALS)
F: Fri Sep 3 v Glasgow Warriors (won 7-12)
F: SAT SEP 4 V DONCASTER KNIGHTS (won 33-29) F:
Sat Sep 11 v Edinburgh (won 10-26)
GP: SUN SEP 19 V HARLEQUINS (lost 20-26)
GP: Sat Sep 25 v Bath Rugby (won 13-20)
GP: SAT OCT 2 V WASPS (won 18-14)
GP: Sat Oct 9 v Saracens (lost 37-23)
GP: SAT OCT 16 V BRISTOL BEARS (won 13-5)
GP: Sat Oct 23 v Gloucester Rugby (lost 29-20)
GP: Sat Nov 6 v Exeter Chiefs (won 14-15)
PRC: SAT NOV 13 V WASPS (won 34-27)
PRC: Fri Nov 19 v Sale Sharks (lost 25-20)
GP: FRI NOV 26 V WORCESTER WARRIORS (drew 24-24)
GP: Sat Dec 4 v London Irish (lost 43-21)
ECC: FRI DEC 10 V WORCESTER WARRIORS (won 31-26)
GP: SUN DEC 26 V SALE SHARKS (Cancelled)
GP: Sun Jan 2 v Leicester Tigers (lost 31-0)
GP: SAT JAN 8 V NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (lost 8-44) ECC:
Fri Jan 14 v Biarritz (won 13-17)
ECC: Sat Jan 22 v Toulon (cancelled)
GP: SAT JAN 28 V GLOUCESTER RUGBY (3PM) (lost 22-32)
GP: Sat Feb 5 v Bristol Bears (lost 37-21)
GP: SUN FEB 20 V EXETER CHIEFS (3PM)
GP: SAT FEB 26 V BATH RUGBY (3PM)
GP: Fri Mar 4 v Harlequins (7.45pm)
GP: SAT MAR 12 V SARACENS (3pm)
PRC FRI MAR 18 V LEICESTER TIGERS (7.45pm)
GP: Sat Mar 26 v Wasps (3pm)
PRC: Mar 29/30 v Northampton Saints
GP: Sat Apr 2 v Worcester Warriors (3pm)
ECC: SAT APR 9 V ZEBRE (8PM)
ECC: Apr 15/16/17 Round of 16
GP: APR 22/23/24 V LONDON IRISH
PRC: Apr 26/27 Semi-finals
GP: Apr 29/30/May 1 v Sale Sharks
ECC: May 6/7/8 Quarter-final
ECC: May 13/14/15 Semi-final
PRC: May 17/18 Final
GP: MAY 20/21/22 V LEICESTER TIGERS
ECC: Fri May 27 Final (Marseille)
GP: Sat June 4 v Northampton Saints
GP: Sat June 11 Semi-final
GP: Sat June 18 Final
TICKETS: CALL 01912145588 or visit
www.newcastlefkalcons.co.uk
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
42

An unmissable
line up on BT Sport
43

EXETER CHIEFS
Dave Ewers
Exeter Chiefs were
beaten 15-14 in
their last meeting
with Newcastle
back in November,
when the Falcons recorded their
first ever victory at Sandy Park.
But it has been a rich decade or
so for Devon’s only Premiership
team, having first been promoted
to England’s top flight back in
2010.
Having knocked on the door for a
couple of years prior to their
ascension, their Championship
final play-off victory over Bristol
set in motion a sequence of
events which would see them
winning two Premiership titles and
a European final.
Led throughout this period by
current director of rugby Rob
Baxter, the former first-team
captain has had stability as his
watch-word, adding bit by bit and
building a squad which claimed
the league titles in 2017 and 2020
– the latter year seeing them
doing a domestic and European
double.
Beaten in last season’s
Premiership final by Harlequins
44
after finishing second in the regularseason
standings, it was a fairly
quiet summer in the transfer market
for a squad with plenty of
international quality already within its
ranks.
Welsh internationals Tomas Francis
and Alex Cuthbert departed, with
props Josh Iosefa-Scott and Sam
Nixon arriving from Waikato and
Bayonne respectively. Ex-Falcons
back-rower Santiago Grondona was
added during the autumn, after
recovering from the knee injury
which prematurely ended his stay at
Kingston Park.
Other ex-Newcastle interest in the
Chiefs’ ranks comes in the form of
old boys Will Witty (lock) and Josh
Hodge (full-back), while head coach
Ali Hepher is a former Northumbria
University player from his student
days in the North East.
A mixed bag for the Chiefs sees
them still in and around the play-off
picture, although the loss of
international stars will test their
squad during the Six Nations as they
have to juggle resources due to callups
for the likes of Stuart Hogg,
Jonny Gray, Sam Skinner, Jonny
Hill, Sam Simmonds, Luke Cowan-
Dickie, Jack Nowell, Christ Tshiunza
and the like.
@FalconsRugby
The current season began in
uncharacteristic fashion, with Exeter
losing at Leicester (34-19) and at
home to Northampton (24-26) before
finally recording their first win in
Gallagher Premiership round three
away to Sale Sharks (15-25).
A big home win over Worcester (42-5)
and a battling away victory at Wasps
(23-27) helped steady any early
nerves, but a home loss to London
Irish (21-33) was followed by a nervy
trip to Gloucester, in which they left it
late to chisel out an away triumph
(13-16).
Newcastle’s first ever victory at Sandy
Park (14-15) on November 6 was
followed by an away win at Bath
(16-23) and a home victory against
familiar rivals Saracens (18-15), with
a home victory over Bristol (19-13)
being followed by away losses to
Harlequins (14-12) and London Irish
(18-14).
Wasps added a further blow when
Paolo Odogwu’s last-minute try
inflicted a home defeat (26-27) just
over a fortnight ago, with the Chiefs’
last outing on February 12 seeing a
24-15 home win over Gloucester – a
result which left them at sixth in the
table going into this weekend’s round
of matches.

the boss
An Exeter captain for ten years during a
playing career which saw him making more
than 300 appearances for the club, Baxter’s
coaching journey began with Exeter
University, where he was director of rugby.
Combining that with coaching Exeter’s
second team, he became first team forwards
coach and, in 2009, moved up to head coach.
Helping them to promotion up to the
Premiership in 2010, the Devon native won
the league’s ‘director of rugby of the season’
award in 2012 and steered them to their first
ever Premiership title in 2017. Following the
Chiefs’ European and domestic double in
2020, he was awarded an OBE in the
Queen’s New Year’s honours list.
ROB
BAXTER
THE MAIN man
OLLIE DEVOTO
The 28-year-old centre joined
Exeter Chiefs from Bath Rugby in
the summer of 2016, and has
made over 100 appearances for
the Devon side.
Capped three times by England,
most recently during the 2020 Six
Nations, Devoto is a product of
Sherborne RFC who made his
professional breakthrough for Bath,
making his first team debut in 2012
as an 18-year-old.
Standing at 6 foot 4, Devoto is a
Junior World Championship winner
with England Under-20s, and
played for Exeter during their 2020
Champions Cup final victory, as
well as winning two Premiership
titles.
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
45

46
@FalconsRugby

PLAYER STATS
Name
Falcons
career
apps
Falcons
career
points
Falcons
career
tries
Season
2021-22
apps
Season
2021-22
points
Season
2021-22
tries
Name
Falcons
career
apps
Falcons
career
points
Falcons
career
tries
Season
2021-22
apps
Season
2021-22
points
Season
2021-22
tries
Josh Basham 10 10 2 6 5 1
James Blackett 1 0 0 1 0 0
Jamie Blamire 54 50 10 9 0 0
Phil Brantingham 1 0 0 1 0 0
Adam Brocklebank 64 0 0 14 0 0
Mike Brown 12 10 2 2 10 2
Luther Burrell 19 0 0 6 0 0
Conrad Cade 1 0 0 1 0 0
Mateo Carreras 10 5 1 5 5 1
Oscar Caudle 0 0 0 0 0 0
Callum Chick 98 80 16 13 15 3
Pete Lucock 22 0 0 11 0 0
Charlie Maddison 14 5 1 2 5 1
Tom Marshall 5 0 0 1 0 0
George McGuigan 143 150 30 15 35 7
George Merrick 1 0 0 1 0 0
Will Montgomery 12 5 1 6 5 1
Logovi'i Mulipola 58 15 3 9 0 0
Cameron Nordli-
Kelemeti
16 10 2 12 10 2
Chidera Obonna 5 5 1 0 0 0
Matias Orlando 16 5 1 4 0 0
Richard Palframan 3 0 0 3 0 0
Connor Collett 16 0 0
6
0 0
Morgan Passman 1 0 0 0 0 0
Brett Connon 61 250 1 12 50 0
Kyle Cooper 80 60 12 13 5 1
Matthew Dalton 1 0 0 1 0 0
Trevor Davison 81 10 2 10 0 0
Matt Deehan 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mark Dormer 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nathan Earle 8 10 2 8 10 2
Rob Farrar 10 5 1 4 0 0
Tom Penny 65 40 8 11 0 0
Guy Pepper 0 0 0 0 0 0
Greg Peterson 6 10 2 14 0 0
Adam Radwan 55 205 41 12 25 5
Sean Robinson 115 60 12 11 5 1
Louis Schreuder 31 10 2 12 5 1
Robbie Smith 7 0 0 6 0 0
Iwan Stephens 3 15 3 3 15 3
Carl Fearns 15 5 1 10 5 1
Ben Stevenson 44 75 15 8
15
3
Ollie Fletcher 0 0 0 0 0 0
Marco Fuser 17 10 2 5 0 0
Gary Graham 83 80 16 13 5 1
Ewan Greenlaw 0 0 0 0 0 0
Will Haydon-Wood 12 38 1 10 38 1
Joel Hodgson 155 541 14 7 21 0
Louie Johnson 0 0 0 0 0 0
Conor Kenny 0 0 0 0 0 0
Zach Kerr 4 0 0 2 0 0
Ollie Lindsay-Hague 1 5 1 1 5 1
Sam Stuart 62 30 6 5 5 1
Alex Tait 255 185 37 2 10 2
Mark Tampin 42 0 0 12 0 0
Marcus Tiffen 0 0 0 0 0 0
Philip van der Walt 32 10 2 10 0 0
George Wacokecoke 46 70 14 11 5 1
Matthew Ward 0 0 0 0 0 0
Will Welch 265 90 18 13 0 0
Mark Wilson 237 210 42 1 0 0
Max Wright 5 5 1 5 5 1
Freddie Lockwood 1 0 0 0 0 0
NEXT HOME GAME
V Bath Rugby
Saturday FEBRUARY
26th KICK-OFF 3PM
gALLAGHER pREM
TICKETS 0871 226 6060
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
Michael Young 181 100 20 0 0 0
47

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON ALL THINGS RUGBY WITH OUR
TEN-QUESTION TEASER. ANSWERS ARE UPSIDE-DOWN AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
Q1 WHO KICKED THE WINNING PENALTY WHEN NEWCASTLE FALCONS WON 15-14 AT
EXETER IN NOVEMBER?
Q2 WHICH NEWCASTLE FALCONS PLAYER IS PICTURED HERE?
Q3 EXETER’S STUART HOGG AND JONNY GRAY PLAY INTERNATIONAL RUGBY FOR
WHICH COUNTRY?
Q4 IN WHAT YEAR DID EXETER CHIEFS ACHIEVE PROMOTION INTO THE PREMIERSHIP?
Q5 WHICH SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC TEAM PLAYS ITS HOME GAMES IN CANBERRA?
Q6 TRUE OR FALSE, NEWCASTLE FALCONS PROP MARK TAMPIN WAS ONCE A
CONTESTANT ON TV’S ‘THE APPRENTICE’?
Q7 WHICH IS FURTHEST BY ROAD, KINGSTON PARK STADIUM TO EXETER’S SANDY
PARK, OR MURRAYFIELD TO TWICKENHAM?
Q8 WHICH NEW ZEALANDER IS HEAD COACH OF THE ITALIAN NATIONAL TEAM?
Q9 WHICH EXETER CHIEFS PLAYER IS PICTURED HERE?
Q10 WHICH RUGBY LEAGUE TEAM PLAYS ITS HOME GAMES AT KINGSTON PARK
STADIUM?
1 BRETT CONNON, 2 BEN STEVENSON, 3 SCOTLAND, 4 2010, 5 THE BRUMBIES, 6 FALSE, 7 MURRAYFIELD TO
TWICKENHAM, 8 KIERAN CROWLEY, 9 JOE SIMMONDS, 10 NEWCASTLE THUNDER.

9pm

More than just a racecourse
Home of horse racing in Northumberland and Britain’s Most Scenic Racecourse, host
to 15 days national hunt racing in 2022. Border and Haydon Point-to-Point
Range of sponsorship and hospitality packages available for every meeting.
Set in beautiful Northumbrian countryside the racecourse provides the ideal location
for weddings, conferences and exhibitions.
For all enquiries, ticket bookings and purchases contact the
racecourse office 01434 606881, email
admin@hexham-racecourse.co.uk or visit our website
www.hexham-racecourse.co.uk
Follow the racecourse on Facebook,
Twitter @HexhamRaces, Instagram.

32
@FalconsRugby

Our series profiling the talent within Newcastle Falcons’
academy kicks off with fly-half Louie Johnson, who is in
the midst of England Under-20s’ Six Nations challenge.
The 18-year-old is in his first season as a full-time
professional with the Falcons, making his debut for the
A-Team last season and scoring a sensational solo try in
the 43-22 victory over England Under-20s while he was
still a schoolboy.
Stepping up and making his first team debut from the
bench during the pre-season victory at Glasgow
Warriors in September, Johnson scored on his England
Under-20s debut against Oxford University in January
before going on to start their Six Nations campaign in the
No.10 shirt against Scotland and as a replacement last
weekend in Italy.
Falcons academy manager Mark Laycock picks out
Johnson as one to watch over the coming years, saying:
“Louie came all the way through the academy pathway –
actually a year young. I remember him joining up with
Cumbria’s Developing Player Pathway programme when
he was an under-12, and even then he was
exceptionally skilful.
“He’s very fit, a hard-worker and he’s been down at
Penrith Rugby Club ever since he was in nappies. He
was a QEGS Grammar School Penrith boy who moved
on to Sedbergh during his Sixth Form, and he’s been in
our academy right the way through the age groups.
“He was continually setting the bar for other players in
terms of his skill and fitness levels, and just his ability to
change a game through his pace and line-breaking.
Unfortunately he didn’t really get to fully experience
Sedbergh’s rugby set-up due to Covid and some injury .
problems, but you learn a lot about people during those
difficult times. He proved to be robust and diligent in
working through those difficulties, and he stuck at it
during some pretty dark times
“Despite those setbacks he was still involved with the
England age-group set-up all the way through when he
was fit, and then came back to play for us in the
convoluted version of the Under-18s academy league.
He fractured his wrist in the first half-hour of the first
game, which was another blow for him, and meant that
he missed the first part of pre-season.”
Assessing Johnson’s playing strengths for a club wellversed
in bringing through their own fly-halves, Laycock
added: “Louie is exceptionally-talented, has a big kick on
him and he has some good tools in his tool-box which we
can hopefully fine-tune into a good-quality Premiership
player.
“His first real game of adult rugby was when our A-Team
played against England Under-20s last season, and he
came on from the bench and scored an unbelievable
solo try. He’s involved with England Under-20s this
season a year young, and scored a good try for them on
his debut against Oxford University where he anticipated
a break and ran one in from 60 metres.
ll at Darlington Mowden Park, but he’s one of those guys
who just needs to get some rugby into him. He’s
definitely got the ability to break a game down in attack,
he has a good range of passing and we’re excited to see
where he can get to as a player.
“He’s a very grounded young man, and he’s just mega
keen to learn and to soak it all up.”
www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk
52

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