A glorious new season of Premiership Rugby is upon us, and as we look ahead, 2022/23 promises to at least be something of a fresh start for Newcastle Falcons following a major coaching shake up, several new faces arriving and an interesting preseason. Here, we’ve recapped some of the key talking points and considered what the new season could indeed bring for the Falcons.
Dean Richards Steps Down
In May 2022 long-term coach Dean Richards announced he would be stepping down after 10 years in charge and instead will move into a part-time consultancy role at the Falcons. This has seen the club legend Dave Walder being brought in as first-team coach, so it’s expected he will soon instil his particular brand of defensive rugby union into the side’s performances.
An Unnerving Preseason
Last season’s disappointing 34 points saw the Falcons only finish above bottom-placed Bath due to their superior points scored difference, so the club will of course be looking for a stronger and more positive campaign this year. Unfortunately, the relatively short preseason hasn’t done much to inspire with two dispirited losses against Saints and Leicester Tigers and only a marginal victory over RFU Championship side Doncaster Knights.
New Players
It could be argued though that the preseason reflects the fact that the Falcons have a new coach and have brought in over 10 new players to the club, so they may need more time to gel. This is something for the fanbase to get excited about though, particularly with the signing of South African full-back Tian Schoeman from Bath and Argentinian wing Matías Moroni from title-winning Leicester Tigers.
The Positives
One thing the Falcons do have in their favour though is the fact they don’t have that many international players, so they’re less likely to be disrupted by squad members coming and going as and when they get called up. Their back row is also largely to be considered one of the strongest in the Gallagher Premiership and what’s more they have decent squad depth so cover will be available if it’s needed.
The Falcons will begin this season the same way they did last year by hosting Harlequins, they then face a run of tough sides including Leicester and Saracens. Whatever the case though we must remember this is rugby, so anything can happen, we may well see a rejuvenated side thanks to Dave Walder’s stewardship, once he’s had more time to make his mark in training.