Witty ready for European return
Newcastle Falcons Will Witty is looking forward to a first start of the season this weekend against Enisei STM, after successfully battling back from a foot injury sustained over the summer.
Witty has been a frustrated bystander for the first part of the season, after making his Aviva Premiership debut towards the end of last season and performing well at the U20 World Championships in the summer but is hopeful of picking up where he left off.
Speaking to Falcons TV, the Malton born lock said: “I’m excited more than anything, it was good to get a full 80 in last week and get a good blow on and I’m starting to feel quite fit again so hopefully this weekend I can get stuck in and get on with my own game and try and pick up some form.”
In what was a breakthrough 2014/15, Witty burst onto the scene in a typically powerful and direct way in last year’s European Rugby Challenge Cup, bulldozing his way to a first try for the club within two minutes of his debut against Bucharest Wolves, before grabbing a poachers try a week later against Newport Gwent Dragons.
And while a similar headline grabbing performance would please the 20 year old Yorkshireman, personal glory isn’t much of a consideration heading into the game, Witty adding “I wouldn’t complain if I got another try, but I’ve just got to concentrate on how the team are playing and get my job right. If a try comes then it comes.”
Facing an Enisei team that took the scalp of former European Champions Brive in their last home fixture, the Falcons team are well aware of the threat posed to their aims of winning and setting up a decisive round against the French side in the final round of the pool games.
With the Russian’s 10-7 win fresh in the mind, Witty believing heads up rugby will be of crucial importance if the Falcons are to keep their qualification destiny in their own hands.
They are no mugs over there, they beat Brive. I think we’re going to go out and play what we see in front of us rather than sticking to anything too strict. Everyone in the team is a good rugby player so hopefully if we see a gap we can go for it or if not we can create something.
For the full interview with Will, [click here][1] for Falcons TV
Saturday’s round five fixture kicks off at 11am UK time with a live stream available by [clicking here][2]
[1]: https://youtu.be/S4LOU4brkYM
[2]: http://www.enisei-stm.ru/video/
