Richards turns the focus to Grenoble
Grenoble were beaten 39-13 by Lyon in their own group opener, Newcastle’s director of rugby having coached the Alpine outfit back in 2004.
Richards said: “I know Grenoble well from my time over there, and it’s not surprising they were beaten quite comfortably by Lyon.
“I don’t think they will come to Newcastle with any intentions other than preserving a side which can keep them in the French Top 14. It will be an interesting game and I can see there being a lot of tries scored.”
The Falcons were on the receiving end of a clinical Ospreys performance in Swansea on Friday, Richards saying: “Ospreys are a very good side. Before the game we had talked about accuracy and execution, and they gave the boys a bit of a lesson in that.
“We showed a lot of endeavour and heart out there, and probably didn’t get the rewards we deserved for it. To be nilled was disappointing given the amount of pressure we put on them – especially in the first half, but fair dues to the Ospreys because they have got some outstanding players. Boys like Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones, they gave us a bit of a lesson in how to execute things.
“Ospreys thoroughly deserved their win. We didn’t quite have the finesse we wanted, that’s life and it is part of the learning curve for a lot of our young boys. They can take lessons from tonight about what it takes to be a British and Irish Lion or a Six Nations player.”
The Falcons boss added: “For us it is about giving guys the experience, but at the same time we want to win the games. Simple as that. Ospreys scored some opportunist tries which highlighted chinks in our armour, and we couldn’t exploit the same chances at the other end. It doesn’t happen overnight, it counts for a huge amount and we are working on it.
“We could sit down and have a go at the young guys who played tonight or we can say you gave it a good go, it was a valuable learning experience and we will right the wrongs against Grenoble. Grenoble will come over with a view to atoning for their opening loss, but we are in the same boat and we are at home. It will be an interesting game.”
Tickets for Sunday’s match against Grenoble are available by calling 0871 226 6060 or by [**clicking here**.][1]
[1]: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/newcastle-falcons/details/event.aspx?itemref=2981
