Falcons off on French adventure
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:28
Newcastle Falcons leave for their six-day French training camp on Wednesday, the culmination of which will be Sunday's final pre-season friendly against Racing Metro 92 at the 18,000-capacity Stade Lille Metropole.
The 44-man tour party will arrive in the northern French city on Wednesday, ahead of a week of intensive training with the Guinness Premiership season now less than three weeks away.
The bulk of the squad's training work will be done at the state-of-the-art facility at Enettieres-En-Weppes, while Falcons coaches and players will also visit their hosts at Lille Rugby Club, to pass on their expertise to the ambitious side.
Friday sees the touring Newcastle team as the guests of honour at a Civic reception hosted by the Lille city authority, with star players also coaching local children at the LMR junior rugby school.
Sunday's match against Racing Metro 92 will see the Falcons facing a star-studded opponent coached by French legend Pierre Berbizier.
Among the Racing Metro group will be All Black fly half Andrew Mehrtens, Italy front rowers Andrea Lo Cicero and Carlo Festuccia, Crusaders No.8 Johnny Leo'o, France centre Ludovic Valbon, international scrumhalf Jerome Fillol, Scotland prop Craig Smith and Fiji wing Sireli Bobo.
Falcons director of rugby, Steve Bates, said: "This tour is a valuable part of our pre-season preparation, and will really focus the minds ahead of the first Guinness Premiership game on September 7.
"Spending a week away with team-mates and getting real quality time on the training ground ahead of what will be a very tough game is just what we are looking for.
"Racing Metro has a host of top international players among its squad, led by an outstanding coach in Pierre Berbizier, and they will provide a very tough test for us in what is our last pre-season outing."
