Since arriving from London Irish in the summer of 2013, Scott Lawson has been a hardy perennial in the Falcons pack.

The Scottish International hooker has played with quality and consistency across all facets of his game during his stay on Tyneside, working hard in scrums, throwing with accuracy at lineouts and linking well with his teammates in the loose.

With plenty of examples to draw on from the current season, it is a well-deserved inclusion on the Heineken Fans Star of the Season shortlist, with Lawson having enjoyed the campaign to date.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m pretty sure speaking to everyone the answers will be pretty much the same, we’re delighted with the way we’ve played and the brand of rugby we have managed to produce across the whole year, but we are frustrated with the results that have come along with that as well.”

“I think if we’d notched up a couple more wins along with those performances it would have been a far greater year but on the whole an enjoyable season.”

Playing a full part across the season, chosen highlights for the 33 year old include his try against Leicester and also his fleet footed set up of Alesana Tuilagi for his try against Saracens away, with man from Lanark saying that the club’s style of play has allowed him to demonstrate his strengths.

“The type of rugby we try to play is tailored to the players we’ve got and the free flowing and passing does suit me. The legs are getting a bit older but I keep trying to keep up with the players out there.”

“You have to adapt your rugby in a certain way when you put a pitch like that down. We have done that. We’ve developed a game to suit out pitch, our home advantage which is not your stereotypical Newcastle on a wet and windy day.”

“We’ve been able to take that away from home and score tries. The fans and the crowd have appreciated what we have done and they have kept coming back and the numbers are growing. Hopefully when performances become a few more wins, there will be even more.”

Heading into the final year of his current deal, Lawson feels fully integrated into both the club and the region and is keen to continue the progress of setting the club out as one of the leading teams in the sport.

“I absolutely love it, it’s scary to think these last two years have flown by. It feels good to be part of something that is growing and is getting better year on year and I want to stay involved and see it through to get the wins we want and get as high up the league as we possibly can.”

As part of an increasingly impressive pack of forwards, Lawson and his teammates have set the bar high, with the Falcons scrum fast becoming one of the most effective in the league and having stats support their performances pleases the Scot.

“To use a cliché, we’ve tried to set a foundation to play the game we want to. As a forward we’ve got to do our job in the scrummage in the lineout, we put a lot of focus on it so it’s good to get the reward the stats to back up the work you are doing on the training field every week.”

“There have been a lot of highs this year, yeah there have been a couple of lows, but it has been a good year to perform and now we just want to take those performances into wins.”

“There have been some highlights, but there hasn’t been a stand out game as a whole, there have been points within games that have been highlights, but then there have been bits that have just been frustrating.”

“You speak to certain guys, England internationals or British & Irish Lions who are commending the team and its gaining that respect around the league. Teams aren’t taking us lightly and are having to be on their metal to beat us. We need to make sure that going forward we are coming out on top.”

With his performances continuing to make him a stand out player and with Rugby World Cup now looming large, talk inevitable has Lawson as a player who will possibly feature in the sports show piece tournament and, with two games played at St James’ Park, Lawson is hopeful he can feature.

“I’ve huge ambition to play for my country. I’m fortunate that I have been able to do it for quite a long time and have played over quite a few seasons. It is a driver of mine, I feel that it’s good for Newcastle and it is good for me to keep putting in those performances and try to catch the eye of the selectors.”

“I’ve been here for a couple of years now, so it’s a home world cup in Newcastle and to play in two games and St James’ would be brilliant. There are two games left of the season so I’ll be trying to make an impression and be included in that 30 man squad.”

Looking forward to the 2015/16 campaign, Lawson is hoping that he and his teammates will be able to build on the positive aspects of the clubs current season and is also looking forward to continuing to play a mentoring role to the club’s young forwards.

“Next season, my personal goals are to play as many games as I can and to play as well as I can. I really enjoy it year and feel like I am playing with a great bunch of guys and a great club now. I’ve been part of the process growing it and trying to take it forward so it’s about trying to maintain that.

“It’s easy saying it’s about turning performances into win, once we get the momentum and as group and figure out how to do that, then we have a good squad, able to push for top six, play offs and to be involved in the later stages of tournaments.”

Hooker, you’re involved with scrum, line out and it’s about using your experience, the guys who are here, we can problem solve during games. A scrum can go amiss but then we can fix the next one, it’s getting people on page to the Falcons way of doing things.

Its about little intricacies, we know when we get it right we are one of the best units in the league so it’s about ensuring that it’s done consistently and that the whole squad can function like that.”

If Scott Lawson is your Newcastle Falcons Heineken Fans Star of the Season? Votes are open until 5pm on Friday 15th May for fans to cast their votes and be in with the chance of winning two tickets to the club’s end of season celebration and award ceremony on 19th May at Kingston Park.

[Click here][1] to cast your vote and enter the competition to win this and other prizes. Each fan is allowed one vote per day up to and including the final deadline.

[1]: https://www.facebook.com/newcastle.falcons?sk=app_303561899745219&brandloc=DISABLE&app_data=chk-5547a15792b41