
Richards: “Worcester Showed More Accuracy”
Dean Richards admitted Newcastle Falcons were well below their best during Friday night’s 15-14 home loss to Worcester Warriors.
Having been leapfrogged by their Aviva Premiership visitors into 10th place in the table, the Director of Rugby said: “It was a pretty poor game all round between two sides who looked as if they were trying to lose the game rather than win it.
“Worcester showed a little bit more accuracy than we did, and I thought we played at about 50 to 60% of our capability. It comes down to our accuracy in executing things, and we didn’t show that.”
Refusing to apportion blame for the scoreline, Richards said: “We missed two kicks at goal and they missed one. It pretty much evens itself out on that front, but they took their chances and we didn’t. That’s what it boils down to.
“The other week against Northampton we won by a point and tonight we lost by a point.You don’t have massive scores when Wayne Barnes is refereeing, but he is probably the most consistent referee around and from that perspective we knew it wasn’t going to be a humdinger.”
Insisting the Falcons will look within the squad to find a response at Exeter next weekend, he added: “It is just a bit frustrating that we weren’t playing to our potential. That is the annoying thing, you want the boys to play to their capability and we didn’t do that.
“But the players will reflect on it; they are pretty good at driving that themselves and they will be pretty disappointed by that performance. Exeter will be a tough one. They are flying high and it is going to be a hard game.”
Adamant that the end of their unbeaten home run will not send them into a spiral, Richards said: “I never look down. You have got to look up, and the most disappointing thing is that this was a chance to close in on the teams above us.
“The boys have played well for most of the last six or seven weeks, and it is just about getting back on that horse, getting the intensity back.”
Crediting Vickers on a night when the evergreen prop played his 200th senior game for the Falcons, Richards said: “Rob has reinvented himself on that left hand side of the scrum.
“He is right up there with our top try scorers this season, with a total mileage of about three inches, but it was right that he got to lead out the side and he continues to do a great job for us.”
For the full post-match press conference with Richards, click [here][1].
[1]: https://youtu.be/YEH4Rzglq4g