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Winless Newcastle hoping ill wind will foil struggling French giants
Winless Newcastle Falcons cannot compete with Montpellier’s playing budget or high-profile squad and will need to call upon the North East’s bitter winter weather to level the playing field when the teams clash in the European Challenge Cup at Kingston Park this weekend.
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That’s the verdict of Falcons forwards coach Micky Ward who wears shorts even in the coldest months and fully understands the impact the cold wind blowing in from the North Sea can have on opponents. Add to the equation the fact that Montpellier have brought in a new coaching team this season under Bernard Laporte -sacking England’s Richard Cockerill in the process – and are on their own eight-game losing run and there are reasons to believe the Falcons can register their first victory of the season after eight defeats in the Premiership. Newcastle have enjoyed success in a previous meeting with Montpellier at Kingston Park, winning a Champions Cup clash 23-20 in 2018.
Montpellier, who started the season registering an opening win over back-to-back European champions La Rochelle, have a squad that includes former Exeter Chiefs Sam Simmonds and Harry Williams along with Paolo Garbisi, of Italy, South African World Cup winner Cobus Reinach, Wales prop Henry Thomas and a number of French internationals headed by lock Paul Willemse.
Patently, both teams are in need of a confidence boost and Ward said: “It is beautiful across in France but we have temperatures of 2C, sleet coming down and it’s freezing cold. You have to use everything you can when you are playing teams like this. Hopefully, it will be cold and nice and wet on match day.
“When you get into a habit of losing then it becomes acceptable and we have said for a couple of weeks that once we get that first win the second and third will come off that. Hopefully, this match will be the springboard and get that momentum. That’s what we are hoping for. We beat them in the Champions Cup and so we know we have turned them over at home before.
“Montpellier have an outstanding squad but haven’t had it all their own way this season with a poor start. Cockers (Cockerill) is a good bloke but he has been given the bullet and they have brought other people in. We don’t know if they are going to come with all their big guns and try and get their own momentum but we have a rough idea of the mentality they will come with in this transition period.
“It is a tough start to the season with 21 weeks on the bounce without a break and it is nice to freshen things up with Montpellier at home and then we travel to South Africa to face the Lions and that means we can try a few different things including going to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland for a training session this week. We do things as a group, getting off-site to do different things so it’s not the same every week. We had to get vaccinations and got through passport control to get to Sunderland and it was a bit interesting for Phil Brantingham, our prop, who is a hardcore Newcastle United season ticket holder and struggled a bit .”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Karl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
5 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
8 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
8 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
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