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How Radwan has gone from 'worst running technique ever' to England
New England winger Adam Radwan has described some of the measures that he took to help turn him from an unorthodox club novice into a potential Test rugby superstar in the making. It was 2016 when the now 23-year-old first skipped in through the door at Newcastle but his gait came in some initial ridicule.
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Kevin McShane, the Newcastle head of athletic performance, held nothing back when first assessing the teenager who played for the club in that year’s Premiership 7s before spending some time at Darlington Mowden Park and then stepping into the Falcons senior academy in 2017.
McShane claimed Radwan possessed “probably the worst running technique” he had ever seen from a back, a considerable claim given that the coach had been working at Newcastle since 2008 where he began as an academy strength and conditioning coach before making his way through the ranks.
That must have felt like a huge put-down for the then-teenager, but the criticism became the catalyst that has since turned Radwan into a long-term England prospect after he announced his arrival on the Test rugby stage with a stunning hat-trick in his debut appearance last July.
Despite sitting out this Saturday’s away Premiership trip to Gloucester with what Newcastle describe as a “minor knee problem”, Radwan is in the 34-strong England squad that will head to Jersey next Monday to begin preparations for next month’s series featuring Twickenham matches against Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
"It’s pretty simple really…"
– Dean Richards on why @FalconsRugby had the joint-second largest representation in Eddie Jones' latest England squad selection #England #Falcons #GallagherPrem #GLOvNEWhttps://t.co/Yfn53GzbfJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 22, 2021
He will go there with a technique that he has put plenty of hours into harnessing since that first day when McShane delivered his damning critique. “It has got better but there are definitely still improvements to be made,” said Radwan when asked by RugbyPass how different his running style is now compared to those innocent first steps at Newcastle some years ago.
“We still do loads of work on it. Kev still does loads of work with me and I still aim to get quicker. When I first came when I was running I didn’t really lift my feet up off the floor. I just kind of scuttled across the floor so that was a big one, lifting my knees up a bit more and getting a bit more force through them.
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“At first it was a little bit strange (doing that) because you have to change the way you had been running for quite a while. I watched a clip recently with Kev of when I first came here and now I am running totally different. I don’t really feel it [the difference] now, it’s just the way I run now.”
What has also altered is the weight Radwan is tipping the Falcons scales with. “When I first came to Newcastle I was about 80 or 81kgs maybe and now I am about 89, between 88 and 90, so I have put on a little bit of weight. I have probably grown a bit, probably got a bit taller.”
His devastating Harlequins exit, his new life up north in Newcastle, working again with Richards and who'd win a race between Radwan and May…????
– @mikebrown_15 held nothing back at his first media briefing as a @FalconsRugby player, writes @heagneyl ???https://t.co/hAo3NVOP9o
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 16, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
39 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
39 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
39 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
39 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
39 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
39 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
39 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
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