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Andy Onyeama-Christie on brink of Saracens exit as new club emerge
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'Bath are the new Saracens' claims banned Premiership DoR
By Ian Cameron
Newcastle Falcons boss Steve Diamond has claimed Bath are the “new Saracens” as his side prepares to visit the Gallagher Premiership leaders on Saturday.
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Bath sit 15 points clear at the top of the table and Diamond says their recruitment and squad depth have set a new standard.
“Bath are the new Saracens with the massive squad they’ve assembled, and they’ve got their recruitment spot-on,” said Diamond. “They’ll be a top team for years to come with the quality and depth they’ve been able to pull together, and they’ve probably already started their party with being so far ahead in the league.”
“They’re a top side with galacticos in pretty much every position, and fair play to them,” he added. “It’s taken them a while to get it right, but they’ve well and truly done it now in terms of their coaching and recruitment. You can only applaud them for it, and they’re a formidable proposition with the cattle they can roll out week after week.”
Diamond knows the task awaiting his team will be anything but easy.
“It will be really difficult to go down there and get anything, but we’ll show the right mentality and not wave the white flag.”
The Falcons travel to the Rec having taken two bonus points from last weekend’s narrow loss against Northampton Saints. Diamond was pleased with his side’s attacking intent but frustrated by costly lapses.
“Last week looked great to the neutral and we scored five tries, which we’ve not done for a while in the league, but we had a collapse just before half-time which probably cost us the game,” he said.
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“We tend to have a spell in matches where, for whatever reason, we just don’t cope. It’s been the story of our season. We do loads of good stuff and I feel like we’re making positive strides, but when you let sides run amok for ten minutes it’s always going to cost you.”
Diamond served the first match of a six-game touchline ban last weekend but watching from the hospitality boxes did not seem to faze him.
“It was quite pleasant, to be fair,” said the Falcons boss. “I sat down and had a bit of food before the game, I watched the match with our owner Semore Kurdi and I managed to avoid having a drink. It’s no drama, really, and the lads know what they’re doing.”
Determined to finish the season on a positive note, Diamond praised the mood within the camp.
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“We are where we are in the league. Obviously we’re not happy about it but the lads are still training hard, the mood around the place is remarkably positive and there’s a buzz about the joint,” he said.
“We’re starting to see the improvements, but we’re still a ‘nearly’ team and ‘plucky old Newcastle’ when people talk about us. They say we’re ‘gritty’ rather than talking about our skill, but that’s just where we are and we have to take it on the chin.”
Louis Brown replaces Elliott Obatoyinbo following the full-back’s head knock against Northampton Saints, while Richard Palframan comes into the starting side at tight-head prop. Oscar Usher, the 20-year-old Northumbria University second-rower, is named among the replacements and could make his first-team debut.
Newcastle Falcons: 15. Louis Brown, 14. Alex Hearle, 13. Connor Doherty, 12. Max Clark, 11. Ben Stevenson, 10. Brett Connon, 9. Sam Stuart; 1. Adam Brocklebank, 2. Jamie Blamire, 3. Richard Palframan, 4. John Hawkins, 5. Sebastian de Chaves, 6. Freddie Lockwood, 7. Cameron Neild, 8. Callum Chick (captain).
Replacements: 16. Ollie Fletcher, 17. Micky Rewcastle, 18. Murray McCallum, 19. Oscar Usher, 20. Ollie Leatherbarrow, 21. Max Pepper, 22. Oli Spencer, 23. Sammy Arnold.
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