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Newcastle embrace radical tactic to ensure Gary Graham remains ready for Scotland

(Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Newcastle boss Dean Richards has revealed the club will increase Covid-19 testing for flanker Gary Graham, who will be leaving the Scotland bubble to return for Gallagher Premiership matches during the Guinness Six Nations championship.

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Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has made it clear he is unhappy with having to release players from his bubble so that they can play for Premiership clubs.

Gregor Townsend is also having to release his ten English-based players, a list headed by captain Stuart Hogg who will play for Exeter at Worcester on Saturday. 

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Johnnie Beattie guests with Ryan Wilson and Jamie Roberts on the latest RugbyPass Offload

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Johnnie Beattie guests with Ryan Wilson and Jamie Roberts on the latest RugbyPass Offload

Hogg and the other Scotland players contracted to English clubs – including Newcastle’s Graham, Gloucester’s Chris Harris, Harlequins’ Scott Steele, Cameron Redpath at Bath and Exeter’s Jonny Gray – will then reassemble with the national squad at Oriam at the start of next week leading into the opening Six Nations game with England at Twickenham on February 6.

Richards has flanker Mark Wilson in camp with England throughout the Six Nations as Premiership clubs have agreed to let head coach Eddie Jones keep a maximum of 28 players in his bio-secure environment. 

However, Richards will have Graham back for the away game with London Irish at Brentford on Sunday. He said: “Gary will be tested as part of the programme and we will also be doing lateral flow tests as well to keep on top of that and make sure that if there are any concerns we will be right on top of it.

“We will be doing the lateral flow test just for Gary who will be tested while he is with Scotland. He will be tested every day with us.” Premiership players have only recently started been tested twice weekly, but the Graham plan takes this to a new extreme.

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Richards believes the Test level recognition for Graham and Wilson recognises the talent currently at Falcons who have moved up to second in the Premiership after winning promotion last season. 

However, he wants even more players in the Test mix. “We have other players who are performing exceptionally well like George McGuigan and Trevor Davison and I’m surprised they haven’t been recognised. They are playing exceptionally well along with Sean Robinson.”

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SK 18 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

The way they are defending is sometime pathetic to be honest. Itoje is usually on the inside of the rush and he is paired with a slower tight forward. Unable to keep up with the rush we have seen the line become disconnected on the inside where the big boys are. How many times have we seen Earl rush past the first receiver almost into no mans land covering no attacker. It looks like a system without any guidance. Tome Wright, Ikitau and a number of Wallabies went back to this soft centre as did Williams, Jordan and several others. Also when the line is broken the multiple lines of defence seems to be missing. The rush is predicated on a cover and recovery system with multiple lines of defence but with England you dont see it any more. Fitness and conditioning seems to be off as well as players are struggling to keep up with the intensity of the rush. Felix Jones has left a huge hole. The whole situation was and is a mess. Why they insist on not letting him go and having him work remotely is beyond me. Its leading to massive negative press and is a hot button issue thats distracting from the squad. Also the communication around Jones and his role has been absolute rubbish and is totally disjointed. While some say he is working remotely and playing a role others are saying theres been no contact. His role has not been defined and so people keep asking and keep getting different answers. England need a clean break from him and need to start over. Whatever reason for his leaving its time to cut the rope before the saga drags the whole Borthwick regime down. As for Joe El Abd well good luck to him. He is being made to look like an amateur by the whole saga and he is being asked to coach a system thats not his and which has been perfected and honed since 2017 by Nienaber, Jones, Erasmus and Co and which was first started by White in 2004. He is literally trying to figure out a system pioneered by double world cup winning coaches at the highest level and coach it at the same time. Talk about being on a hiding to nothing.

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