Powell positive for European progression
Adam Powell says he and his Newcastle Falcons team mates are heading into this weekend’s crunch European Rugby Challenge Cup fixture against Bucharest Wolves determined to secure a berth in the competition’s knock out stages.
The team head to the Romanian city of Cluj Napoca for Saturday’s game, knowing that a repeat of their bonus point win in round one will see them qualify as one of the three best pool runners up and Powell is expecting everyone to learn the lessons of last weekend’s loss to Newport.
The centre said: “We’re totally aware of what is needed to get that place because we really want to go through. I thought we had thrown it away last week but to learn that we can still get through to a quarter final so we will be going out to do a professional job.”
“Although a bonus point will no doubt effect some of the decisions out on the pitch, I think building pressure is how you score tries, so if we decide that we want to kick penalties to start off with, we can and then look to score tries at the end if we have built up the right amount of pressure and earned the right to do that.”
While the Falcons racked up six tries on their way to a 49-19 win in round one, the Romanian side gave a good account of themselves and worked well to nullify much of the Falcons attack in the second half and Powell acknowledges the Wolves will be a different prospect away from home.
“We’ve watched their European games, they are a decent side who get stuck in who are much better at home than they are away which I think their results show. We’re going to be playing at a nice stadium with a good surface but we know it is going to be a tough game.”
“I think after last week we need to go back to what we are good at, which is working hard and working for each other and I think we do well. We can’t just turn up, we need to stick to our structures and put the right amount of effort in.”
“Newport brought us back down to earth a little bit and everyone was disappointed, but we’re lucky that if we win by a bonus point then, we will be through to the quarter finals and been given a second chance.”
This afternoon’s game against Bucharest Wolves kicks off at 5pm local time (3pm GMT). Although the match is not available on UK television live commentary is available on BBC Radio Newcastle, the @FalconsRugby Twitter account and the club’s official mobile app.
