Select Edition

Northern
Southern
Global
NZ

'He is getting there... However, he will be the first to say there is a still lot more to come from him'

By Chris Jones
GettyImages-1295517697

Dean Richards watched Newcastle wing Adam Radwan embarrass England’s Jonny May with a combination of pace and footwork and then warned the rest of the Gallagher Premiership that his flyer is going to get better.

Radwan raced from Newcastle’s own five-metre line, outstripping the Gloucester cover in the 22-10 win and then stepped past May who flung out a weak right arm tackle that hardly forced the wing to slow down and then he turned on the afterburners to easily reach the try line and provide one of the scores of the season.

Radwan, the former Billingham RFC and Hartlepool Sixth Form College player showed his speed for the Falcons in the 2016 Singha 7s and then spent part of the 2016-17 season with National One Club Darlington Mowden Park, having made his Falcons first-team debut in the Anglo-Welsh Cup trip to Saracens.

Beaumont talks to RugbyPass and talks Manu Tuilagi, Saffas and the Curry twins...

Now, 23-year-old Radwan has made the right wing position his own and after Falcons moved up to second place in the table Richards said: “He (Adam) is getting there and will be delighted with his performance. However, he will be the first to say there is a still lot more to come from him. The culture in the group is very good and everybody wants to play for each other. That team spirit is absolutely massive."

England flanker Mark Wilson put in a big shift in a Falcons pack that has proved tough to shackle this season following their promotion to the Premiership. Falcons have now registered five wins and are above champions Exeter on points difference.

Richards knows his team will face stiffer tests and added: “The overall performance was 6 or 7 out of ten because we didn’t react to the referee’s interpretations quickly enough and we didn’t convert our chances which is a shame. The competition in that back row is immense with Will Welch, Callum Chick and John Hardie coming back.”