Newcastle were the first winners of the Premiership in 1998 but since then they have largely floundered in the nether reaches, spending a season in the Championship five years ago. Under Dean Richards the Falcons have taken to the air again, qualifying for the play-offs for the first time and enjoying their highest finish in the Premiership since they won the title.
They face Wasps in front of a sell-out crowd at Kingston Park on Saturday with third place the prize. It is only the fourth time since they won the title that Newcastle have finished in the top half of the table, and the first since 2001-02. Richards, who took over when they were in the Championship, was this week rewarded with a contract for another three years. “When you go into coaching, you want to see yourself in your team,” says the Newcastle and Scotland hooker Scott Lawson, who arrived at Kingston Park in the same year as Richards, 2012. “What you get with Newcastle is Dean Richards, resilient, full of character and buoyed by spirit and belief. We work hard for each other, never give up and want to make every match count.”
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At the start of the season Newcastle were quoted at 300-1 to win the title and fancied to finish 10th, ahead of Worcester and London Irish, but they are two wins away from claiming the trophy for a second time. While they will have to travel to the champions, Exeter, or their predecessor, Saracens, in the play-off semi-final, the Falcons have the best away record in the division this season with seven victories.
“It makes such a difference to go into the final round of the Premiership knowing that it is not the end of your season,” says the 36-year old Lawson, who was in the Gloucester side that lost to a late Owen Farrell penalty in the 2011 play-off semi-final against Saracens at Vicarage Road. “It is one of the best I have had in my career with Scotland winning the Calcutta Cup and I want it to go on a few weeks longer.”
Lawson is 37 in September but is not contemplating retiring. “I am enjoying it too much. Dean and the coaches have built a strong squad at Newcastle and we can push on from here. I never expected to be recalled by Scotland at this late stage in my career and it was down to the way we are coached here. I want to carry on because I love playing.”
The way Newcastle reached the play-offs summed up their season. They were trailing in their last two matches, at home to Sale and at Leicester, both top-four rivals, late on but found a way to win. They were 10 points behind with 11 minutes to go at Leicester last week, but kept their shape to record their first victory at the ground for 20 years and with the last play of the match.
“We keep going,” says Lawson. “While we have secured a top-four finish, it is important to continue the winning run against Wasps and taking it into the semi-final. We will be away and we will not be fancied to get to Twickenham but no one expected us to make the play-offs. We have achieved some notable victories away from home and whoever we face will not be taking us lightly.”
As well as deciding who will finish third, the final round will confirm England’s final two qualifiers for next season’s European Champions Cup. They are currently held by Leicester and Gloucester but Sale, who face the Tigers, are in contention and Bath, who entertain relegated London Irish, have a distant chance.
Gloucester will qualify if they lose at Saracens and finish outside the top six through the Challenge Cup having reached this month’s final in Bilbao, taking England’s number to seven.