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Johnny Williams signs for Newcastle Falcons

By Online Editors
Johnny Williams

As first reported by RugbyPass last week, Newcastle Falcons have added London Irish centre Johnny Williams to their squad for next season.

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The 21-year-old has scored five tries in his 26 Premiership appearances for the Exiles, whom he helped to promotion from the RFU Championship last season.

Predominantly an inside centre but with the ability to play outside centre, Williams won the Junior World Championship with England Under-20s in 2016 after previously representing his country at Under-18s and 17s levels.

Standing at 6 foot 3 he offers a physical threat in both attack and defence, director of rugby Dean Richards delighted to have secured his signature.

Continue reading below…

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“Johnny is a player I have admired for some time and he will bring a lot to our midfield,” said the Falcons boss.

“He is a good footballer who possesses a strong offloading game but he is also a strike runner capable of forcing his way in behind the defensive line, so he offers us a bit of everything.

“It’s great that talented young English players like Johnny are taking note of the progress Newcastle Falcons are making as a club, and that they are wanting to be part of it.”

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Williams said: “The biggest factor for me was the style of play that Newcastle are showing this season, and how well they’re going.

“The coaches at the Falcons are very highly regarded and I’ve jumped at the opportunity, I’ve played against them twice this season and they’ve shown their quality by reaching the semi-finals of the Aviva Premiership.”

Assessing the credentials of his new side, the centre added: “They’ve got massive threats all across the park.

“There’s understandably a lot of focus on their wingers with guys like Niki Goneva and Sinoti, but not enough credit is probably given to their forward pack and the ball they provide for the guys in behind.

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“From my own perspective I want to go up there and expand my skill set, which I believe I can do with the calibre of players and coaches I’ll be working with.

“I’m probably stereotypically known for my ball-carrying, which is an important part of my game, but I don’t just want to be doing one thing. This is a fresh start, I’m keen to learn and I’m determined to become a more rounded player.”

Keen to credit London Irish before he heads to the North East for pre-season, Williams added: “I’ve been involved with Irish since I was 14 years old and I owe them a lot. I’ve enjoyed my time there, I’m leaving on good terms and I wish them only success for the future. I’m sure they’ll be straight back into the Premiership and I’ll always be grateful for the role they’ve had in my development as a player.”

Williams becomes the Falcons’ fifth confirmed new signing for next season following the previously-announced arrivals of Logovi’i Mulipola (Leicester Tigers), Guy Graham (Hawick), George McGuigan (Leicester Tigers) and Tom Arscott (Rouen).

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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