Time is running out for Newcastle as they seek to avoid joining Rotherham and London Welsh as clubs who finished a Premiership season without winning a game.
For the second season in a row they have engineered a change at the top during a campaign and in January called on experienced firefighter Steve Diamond after Alex Codling stood down as head coach having questioned the Falcons’ direction of travel after a chastening defeat at Leicester.
Newcastle were a late missed penalty away from securing a losing bonus point at Exeter in Diamond’s first game in charge and did everything but beat Leicester at Kingston Park in his second only for Bristol to hit them for 85 points last weekend at Ashton Gate.
“It has not been the season we wanted,” said scrum-half Sam Stuart ahead of today’s home game against Sale. “When Steve came in he talked about us becoming more competitive, which we were against Exeter and Leicester and we should have got over the line against the Tigers.
“Steve came in just before the break for the Six Nations and it was the first pre-season during a season I had experienced. He got us to step back and concentrate on the basics. He is a pragmatist who embraces a challenge.”
When Diamond walked into Kingston Park, he made no attempt to find excuses for Newcastle’s plight or downplay the reasons the club was some way below the other nine in the top flight.
“On his first day here he pulled out a set of statistics which showed we were bottom of the charts in most aspects of the game,” said Stuart. “He does not drive training sessions but makes his views known at the end of them. He is positive and expects certain standards. He is honest and if there has been some tough stuff, although nothing too excess, it is what we needed. I think next season will be different.”
Stuart is one of Newcastle’s longest serving players having been at the club since 2017. He has enjoyed some highs, such as making the Premiership playoffs, and the lowest of lows in relegation and believes the Falcons will fly again.
“It is not a case of doom and gloom,” he said. “It is difficult when you are not winning games, but we have remained positive. I don’t think the effort can be faulted, it is our execution which has let us down. Steve is adamant we will not finish the season without a win and we have to embrace the challenge.”
Codling arrived in the north-east last summer after guiding Oyonnax to promotion to the Top 14 in France but, despite winning four of their five Premiership Cup matches, Newcastle started the league campaign in reverse gear. Their first three matches were tight affairs. They rocked Bath at The Rec before going down by eight points, went down by four points to Gloucester at home and pushed the current leaders Northampton all the way at Kingston Park before being pipped 16-14.
The wheels did not come off so much as the chariot fell apart and they conceded 130 points in their next three matches before, after a six-point defeat to Exeter, they were crushed 47-3 at Leicester and Codling publicly questioned the club’s policy of underspending at the cost of experience.
Codling did not last long after showing his emotions and Diamond has repeatedly emphasised, including after the defeat to Bristol, that he will not be making excuses.
“Losing three clubs has made the league very competitive,” said Stuart. “There is going to be a reduction in squad sizes which will help us by levelling the playing field. It will come down to what we’re doing in training and how we’re preparing.
“There is no question that we should be doing better. Codders is a great guy and it was sad to see him go earlier than he would have wanted and our job as players is to turn up and do our jobs.
“Where the direction comes from does not make a huge difference. Steve is steadying the ship and one thing Newcastle has done very well is produce very good players. It shows what has been built here.”
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