Newcastle snap up Max Clark amid injury crisis

Newcastle Falcons have signed former Bath centre Max Clark on a short-term deal to help fix an injury crisis at the club.

The former England U20 international has linked up with Steve Diamond’s side on a three-month deal to help fill a hole in the midfield left by the injured Sammy Arnold.

Having spent last season on loan at Cardiff, the 29-year-old departed the Dragons in the summer, who he joined from Bath in 2022.

He spent pre-season and the beginning of the current campaign with Saracens, but is looking for regular playing time with the Falcons.

Given the number of injuries he currently has to his squad, Diamond has said that Clark will be available for selection immediately.

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“I’m massively excited about the whole thing,” the centre said. 

“The chance to come up to Newcastle and hopefully play some rugby is absolutely fantastic, and I love the kind of backs-against-the-wall mentality that the Falcons have. We’ve got a chance to do something quite special and prove a lot of people wrong, and that whole underdog mindset can be really powerful.

“I’m very thankful to Saracens because they’ve allowed me to train full-time with them since the start of their pre-season, and have a few run-outs in the Prem Cup and friendly games. Training there has been brilliant and I can’t thank them enough, but like any rugby player the thing you really want to do when the weekend comes round is get out there and play.

“I’m obviously taking nothing for granted in terms of selection at Newcastle and I know I’ll have to fight hard for a place, but when the call came in from Steve Diamond I just knew it was a great option.

“I’d love to say I’ve got the speed of Adam Radwan and the flair of Finn Russell, but the reality is I lean more towards the nitty-gritty side of things. Work rate, defence and running the hard yards are more what my game is based on, but I think there’s always a place for that in rugby and I’ll be suited to what Newcastle are trying to do.”

Diamond added: “It’s no secret that we’ve taken a hit to our midfield with a couple of recent injuries, and Max is a quality option to come in and really make an impact.

“He has played more than 100 top-flight games, he’s at a good age and he’s got all the attributes to come in and make a positive difference.

“He has been training with Saracens this season, he played for them in the Prem Cup and has also had a couple of run-outs for Ampthill over the past few weeks. He is starting with us today and will be available for selection immediately.”