Bates backs his faltering Falcons
Fri, 02 May 2008 17:01
Falcons acting Director of Rugby, Steve Bates, has insisted his Newcastle side will have to be at its best on Sunday, as Leicester Tigers make the Guinness Premiership trip to Kingston Park.
Coming in to Sunday's game on the back of last weekend's European Challenge Cup exit, Bates said: "The players are clearly disappointed by both the result and aspects of the performance last Friday, but they are a professional bunch and their approach this week in training has been excellent.
"We know that if the levels of focus and commitment are not 100 percent against a team of Leicester's quality then there is the potential for anything to happen, and that is a very strong motivational factor for these players."
With quickfire clashes against Leicester, Worcester and Wasps in the space of seven days to contend with, Bates said: "We go in to these next three games with the view that we still have lots of good players with
lots to play for, and crucially with two home games in quick succession we have to have the supporters foremost in mind.
"The fans are the people who count, especially at the moment when they are down due to the fact we have had a disappointing return in the league this season.
"They have been ever-present in their backing, both at home and away, and the loyalty they have shown towards us is tremendous. It is our responsibility make sure that we go out in these next two games and give them a positive feeling about this club, and a pride in being associated with it.
"We will go in to Sunday's game as underdogs, and I'm expecting Leicester to be as clinical as they always are so we know we will have to be at our very best.
"There will be a few changes for the Wasps game with some fresh bodies coming in for a very competitive outing, and then we will have to review what the status of everybody is for the away game at
Worcester, which takes on a slightly different significance."
With the season drawing to a close, and looking back on a turbulent campaign, he added: "The players have learnt some lessons this season about the competitive nature of this league, and some of those lessons have come about in a very tough manner.
"But they need to respond that challenge, and if we're going to be a club that people want to be part of, then the level of performance clearly has to be raised.
"The circumstances we have found ourselves in towards the back end of the season were never going to be easy and never going to have a quick solution, but with a period of time working on some real fundamental aspects of our play, we will come back stronger.
"I am very optimistic that with hard work we will get it right in the long term, and while I am not happy with the results, I can understand the circumstances that have led to them."
