Newcastle will be going hard in the Premiership Cup, which starts on Friday, as they look to ensure the victory over Exeter nine days ago is not a one-off.
“There will be players who have put in miles who will not play in the first week of the cup,” said Newcastle’s director of rugby, Steve Diamond, below, who two years ago won the competition when he was in charge of Worcester.
“But we will go strong because we need to build momentum. I did it at Worcester when I was putting a team together there and we got a lot of confidence from the cup. I will give the competition the respect I think it should have and will be sending a Premiership side to Caldy at the weekend.
“And we will go strong in Europe. There will be rotation but I will not be putting young teams out. The win over Exeter must not be a one-off.”
Newcastle remained bottom despite the victory because of the five bonus points Exeter picked up in their five defeats and it is another area Diamond is focusing on.
League Improvements
“We have not picked up any bonus points and it could come back to haunt us,” he said.
“If we do not win, we have to get a bonus point and that means scoring four tries or staying within seven points. They will really matter at the end of the season.
“I had never seen a changing room like it after the Exeter victory. The pressure cooker blew its lid, but the players were not celebrating as if they had won the title – it was more relief.
“They had the knowledge that they were not the useless team they had been made out to be. I was really pleased for them because they are as good a bunch as I have had in doing what they are asked to.
“It has been a tough time,” added Diamond, who arrived at Kingston Park at the start of the year, initially on a consultancy basis.
“What I have brought is some conformity and the realisation that by getting the standards right behind the scenes it will filter into the team.”
Retaining Players
Diamond is looking to use the win to help him retain the players he wants who will be out of contract at the end of the season.
“I have spoken to the agents who represent most of those players,” he said. “I asked them before they engaged with other clubs to give us the nod and I hope that happens.
“If any of them are offered deal-changing money it will be difficult to keep them. We have told them that we are trying to build a sustainable business over the next five years and I am confident I can keep the majority of my players here.
“I am also confident my second round of recruiting will see more players of the Sam Arnold, Connor Doherty, Alex Hearle models who found themselves stockpiled and warehoused in other clubs. I know I can build a highly competitive team with players of that ilk.”
