'Oddly, I just sat down with Adam now talking it through'
Dean Richards turned up late to his already rearranged Newcastle media briefing on Thursday due to his need to chew the fat with Adam Radwan after the 24-year-old finished training at the club following his week away with England. With the Falcons not having a Gallagher Premiership match last weekend, Radwan and Jamie Blamire were retained by Eddie Jones in the 27 he kept on at Pennyhill before the Guinness Six Nations round two match away to Italy.
Neither Newcastle player made the matchday cut, leaving Radwan still searching for his third cap following try-scoring appearances last year versus Canada and Tonga, and life on the fringes is only made harder by how it is a 300-mile trip every time from the northeast of England to the national team training centre at Pennyhill.
“It must be really difficult for them,” admitted Richards about the current England experience for Radwan and Blamire, being part of the wider squad but falling short when it comes to matchday 23 selection.
“Having done it for a number of tears myself I sort of understand the pressures on the boys from that perspective and knowing a lot of boys who have done it, and it’s not an easy travel from here as well as you are aware, so it is not quite as straightforward as for other people. We monitor it, we check to see how they are and it does have an impact.”
Radwan will return to club action in this Sunday’s home Premiership match versus Exeter and Richards spend time on Thursday talking through the England feedback that his speedy winger had received.
“Oddly I just sat down with Adam now talking it through and Eddie was very happy with Adam in certain areas and has given us some pointers which would be a little closer to ours than they have been over the years, so we are all singing off the same hymn sheet and he is getting the right advice.”
What is that advice? “It’s generally just about him as a rugby player improving certain skill sets and that’s it. We all acknowledge he has got incredible pace and it’s about being involved more both in attack and defence and the more that he is the more tries that he will score and the more impacts on the game he will have.”
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
37 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.
37 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
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
37 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.
37 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.
37 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.
37 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
1 Go to comments