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Dean Richards is looking forward to taking on former club Grenoble as Newcastle look to get their European Rugby Challenge Cup campaign back on track. - 19/10/2016 17:50
Dean Richards is looking forward to taking on former club Grenoble as Newcastle look to get their European Rugby Challenge Cup campaign back on track.
Falcons director of rugby Richards took charge of the French club during the 2004-05 season, where he led them to the quarter-finals of this competition.
Grenoble went one better last season, with their impressive campaign coming to an end with an agonising semi-final defeat against Harlequins.
But they kicked off this season’s Pool 2 effort with a heavy 39-13 defeat at home to Lyon, while Newcastle were also on the wrong end of a big score in a 45-0 loss at the Ospreys.
With the Falcons keen to get back to winning ways, Richards is predicting an open and entertaining encounter on home turf at Kingston Park.
“I know Grenoble well and I was surprised they were beaten comfortably by Lyon,” he said. “They are fighting to stay in the Top 14 so we will wait to see what side they bring. I can see it being an interesting game next weekend and I reckon a lot of tries will be scored.
“We want to give guys experience in the Challenge Cup but we want to win games and our priority this week will be to beat Grenoble. It will be a slightly different challenge but both teams are out to win and we’re at home.
“Hopefully we can bounce back with a victory, then you never know, if we can win against Lyon home and away, it could all come down to that final game.”
Newcastle Falcons' forwards set the stage for their first win of the European Rugby Challenge Cup against Grenoble. - 23/10/2016 17:28
Newcastle Falcons’ forwards set the stage for their first win of the European Rugby Challenge Cup against Grenoble.
The Falcons pack overwhelmed their visitors at Kingston Park to set up a comfortable victory and put Dean Richards’ side back into contention in Pool 2.
It took just four minutes for flanker Will Welch to power over the for the game’s opening try after Joel Hodgson turned down a shot at goal and opted to kick a penalty to the corner.
That was the perfect way for Welch to celebrate his 150th appearance for the club and was to set the tone for the rest of the game.
Alex Tait’s break almost set up Marcus Watson for a try but Tait was soon forced with an injury. His replacement Fred Burdon’s attack then led to Grenoble scrum-half Lilian Saseras being sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on.
Falcons looked to hammer home the advantage and hit Grenoble with three more tries before half-time to complete an early bonus-point.
Lock Will Witty raced over, scrum-half Sonatane Takulua then snuck through from a lineout before another penalty kick t the corner set up flanker Mark Wilson for the fourth.
Hodgson kept slotting over the conversions for a 28-0 lead at the break and it soon got worse for Grenoble when centre Tino Nemani became the second player to see a yellow card, for his high tackle on Simon Hammersley early in the second half.
Ben Sowrey swiftly drove over from the back of a ruck a metre out from the line for the Falcons fifth before hooker Scott Lawson finished another driving lineout just a minute after taking the pitch as a replacement. The former Scotland international then did the same five minutes later.
Grenoble finally managed to get themselves on the scoreboard when centre Eddie Sawailau raced down the right wing to score, but the Falcons blasted to the half-century on 78 minutes when Vickers and Hodgson combined to free Watson for a score in the left corner.
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