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DICKENS DELIGHT AFTER FRIDAY NIGHT TRIUMPH
Head coach Alan Dickens praised the resolve of his Newcastle Red Bulls side as they chalked up their first win of the Gallagher PREM season on Friday, defeating Gloucester 25-19 at Kingston Park.
Tries from George McGuigan, Tom Christie and Simon Benitez Cruz, plus the boot of Brett Connon, were enough to secure a first league win in 399 days, with a delighted Dickens hailing his troops after the final whistle.
“The performance from the players was fantastic tonight, and I’m so happy for them getting the result over the line,” he said.
“We made it a bit tense towards the end, but the character we showed to close out the result I thought was brilliant.
“We’ve said for a while it’s been coming and we’ve shown improvements week on week, but until you actually go out and do it, they’re just words.
“It’s only one result and we’re not going to go crazy, but I think it’s right that we celebrate because this win is at least some reward for the huge amount of hard work which has gone in from the players, staff and everyone at the club.
“Our fans have been incredible in sticking with us through some difficult times, and the thing now is that we build on this. We’ve got an unbeaten start in Europe to maintain next weekend at home to Perpignan, and you can sense the momentum building.”
The Red Bulls boss added: “Oscar Usher going up and nicking their lineout inside our own 22 towards the end was a massive moment, and I’m really pleased for Oscar and Scott MacLeod for the line-out strategy paying off like that.
“The lads on the bench all contributed, which again was really pleasing, and we had to have our wits about us against a Gloucester side who kept fighting until the end.
“In some ways it as disappointing not to get the four-try bonus, and for Gloucester to get their losing bonus, but from where we’ve been over the last year or so I won’t pick too much fault after a win.
“We’ll go out and enjoy that result but it will be back to business as a coaching group on Sunday, and then delivering the message to the players on Monday morning as to how we’re going to go about beating Perpignan.
“But it’s still nice to go into the changing room and hear the Blaydon Races being belted out after a win. Hopefully we’ll be hearing it on a much more regular basis.”
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