Newcastle Falcons vs Northampton Programme

ALEX
CODLING
FOR A 25-YEAR-OLD
TO REACH A CENTURY
OF APPEARANCES IS A
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT
Good afternoon and thank you for coming to our second home
game of the Gallagher Premiership season as we host Northampton
Saints at Kingston Park.
I would like to welcome Northampton’s director of rugby Phil
Dowson back to a venue with which he is very familiar from his
time as a Newcastle Falcons player, and to all the Saints’ staff
and supporters.
Fingers crossed the conditions can’t be anywhere near as bad
as they were for our previous home game last Friday night when
ourselves and Gloucester had to battle with everything Storm
Babet threw at us.
I want to thank our supporters who turned up in such awful
weather for your incredible backing, and I’m sure you all share
our frustration that we were not quite able to send you home
with a victory to celebrate.
I thought the boys battled well in many respects during what
must have been virtually impossible playing conditions, and
credit to Gloucester for being able to close out the result.
Our commitment and resilience wasn’t up for question, but our
discipline in the first half ended up costing us in a league where
the margins are so tight.
We saw another wonder-try from Adam Radwan during a
much-improved second half, and it’s a special day for Adam this
afternoon as he plays his 100th game for Newcastle Falcons.
For a 25-year-old to reach a century of appearances is a special
achievement, and even more so when it’s his local professional
club after previously playing locally with Middlesbrough, Billingham
and Darlington Mowden Park.
Radders is an incredible talent and a lovely lad who really epitomises
what this club is about, and I’m sure our fans will give
him a great reception when he runs out for this really important
game.
Both sides are still hunting their first win in what is a really competitive
league, and we know that Northampton will provide another
strong test today with the talent they have in their squad.
Rugby World Cup final weekend is a time when all eyes will be on
the sport, and represents a great opportunity for the club game
to capitalise on the wider interest.
Our Argentinian quartet will I am sure be disappointed at Friday’s
semi-final defeat to New Zealand, with Mateo Carreras starting
the game, Matias Moroni and Eduardo Bello coming on from the
bench and Pedro Rubiolo also being among their touring party.
We look forward to their return next week because they have so
much to offer the group, and from an English perspective there
was no shortage of drama and intensity in last Saturday’s narrow
semi-final defeat to South Africa.
In the meantime of course we are looking no further than the
immediate challenge of taking on Northampton Saints.
Once again thank you for your continued support, and I hope you
enjoy the game.
CODDERS
ALEX CODLING - HEAD COACH’S NOTES
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