Carreras primed for battle of the sharp shooters
Quins flyer Murley nudged ahead at the top of the try-scoring charts thanks to a brace against Saracens last time out, touching down 13 tries in 15 games compared to Carreras’ 12 in 13.
Newcastle’s Argentinean speedster boasts the superior strike rate with a try every 82.1 minutes compared to Murley’s 87.3, and the Pumas star insists he is gunning to regain his top spot if it helps the Falcons to victory.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to London, he said: “I want to finish the season as the Premiership’s top try-scorer, and I’ve never hidden that.
“It’s not for personal glory or anything like that, but I just know that if I’m scoring tries on a regular basis then I’m helping the team to win. I just want to enjoy the last few games of the season and help Newcastle to win some more games, and if I can score some more tries in doing that, then great.
“It will be a good game, not just because of the wingers, but there are great players throughout both clubs. If Cadan and I are both fit and selected for the game then it’s another good talking point for people to say it’s the two top try-scorers in the Premiership, and if it helps to promote the game then that’s great.
“Cadan is trying to help his team to win the game and potentially qualify for play-offs or Champions Cup, and I know his mind-set will be the same as mine in terms of wanting to score to help the team win.
“He’s a really good player – powerful, a good footballer and strong in the air – and I know it won’t be easy for whoever is up against him.”
Mindful that rugby remains the ultimate team game but happy to acknowledge his own individual challenge, Carreras insists he is not one to get bogged down by the numbers.
“The ‘minutes per try’ thing – they’re just stats, to be honest,” said the 23-year-old, who has scored two tries in his seven tests for Argentina.
“I’m not personally too bothered about it and it’s not something that motivates me, but I understand it’s the kind of thing some supporters like to talk about and it builds a storyline around the game.
“I’ve got no problem with that, and if it helps generate interest in Saturday’s match then that can only be a good thing. We need more interest in rugby and I’m all for playing a part in that, but if you’re asking does it give me any extra incentive – then no, not really.
“I just want to do my best for the team and be part of a winning performance, which I imagine is exactly what Cadan would say if you asked him the same question.
“He’s an outstanding player who keeps on surprising me because you never know what he’s going to do, but they’ve got other threats and it’s not just about one guy.
“Quins are a side who like to play, they like to play in the 15-metre channels and it should be a good game to watch. Both sets of wingers should have a big part to play, and if we can win that battle then we’re in a great position for the game as a whole.
“They like to move the ball and they throw a lot of 50-50s, moving from wide channel to wide channel, and it’s a good challenge for our defence to be correct in how we police that.”
The Falcons’ last outing delivered a huge rearguard action when they rallied to record a home win over Gloucester despite playing with 14 men for more than an hour, although the subsequent fixture gap has meant a three-week wait for their next assignment.
“We spoke a lot about the Gloucester game and the fact we need to keep building despite not having had a game for a couple of weeks,” said Carreras.
“We’ve spoken about the fact we really want to enjoy these last three games and do it for each other, because we’ve got a really good group here who have remained tight throughout everything this season.
“We’ve had things like coaches changing and players leaving, but we as a group have stayed really together and enjoyed being part of the club. We work really hard for each other, and everyone is focused on finishing the season on a positive note with the three games we have remaining.”