Now they enter the last game of the season, with Falcons having endured a terrible second half of the year and the Warriors finally starting to hit the straps and hunting down their first H Cup.

Newcastle are something of an enigma. They are a very hard team to pin down, not so much in the way that they are an elusive team or a tour de force, but in the way that no one can really seem to understand why they do not do better than they do. To an impartial observer it could be easy to suggest that the Falcons are the leagues biggest underachievers over the last few seasons. This is somewhat hard to understand, especially when you look at their roster. Names such as Hayman, Wilkinson, Flood, Tait, Noon and (the talented but less acclaimed) Phil Dowson would add luster and brilliance to any team sheet. Despite a win over an out of sorts Tigers on Saturday, it looks like a return to form, as the in form Wasps put them to the sword on Wednesday night. Now revelations in the past 7 days have led to the departure of Flood and Tait to league front-runners in protest over the treatment meated out to John Fletcher, the sacked Director of Rugby. Newcastle is a team in the mire now, and is being widely touted as next year’s relegation favorites. The talismanic Jonny Wilkinson has however pledged his future to the north-east club, for a reputed wage cut. Next year, and this Saturday, Wilkinson will be the rock that the beleaguered budgies will group around.

This is realistically a dead-rubber (potentially a straight fight winner takes all 10th place play off), but in reality, now, both teams are looking to the future. Newcastle must just want to return to Tyneside and lick their wounds, whilst Warriors have one eye on the EEC final. This brings up an interesting tactical dilemma over the selection of the XV on Saturday for Worcester.

4 first XV players will be making their premiership and Sixways swansong on Saturday afternoon. Shane Drahm, the mercurial fly-half, Drew Hickey, and fans favourites Thinus Delport and Tony Windo. The first three will be leaving for new opportunities in Japan, whilst Tony Windo heads to retirement. However, a back injury sustained during the Bristol match means he is unlikely to feature in a 101st premiership match. Whilst these players are expected to receive Sixways swansongs, there is also the impending cup final to prepare for, and a delicate line to tread.

It is important to keep the strongest possible XV fully match fit for the ECC final, however you don’t want them to be total strangers when they get there. There are injury rehabilitations to consider. Rasmussen will be need of game time to hit the ground running for the final, but that depends on how fit he is. Does Ruddock give the nod to Horsman after his appearance off the bench at Bristol, and team him up with Mullan, giving Dave a well earned rest. But as Dave has been present all year, is it too much to ask for another two games as he has been so good all year? How long do we leave the players on the pitch, and do we give the youngsters a game?

We’d like to beat Newcastle, but have to realize what side our bread is buttered, this creates a selection of headaches, a mere selection of which highlighted above. Who’d be a Director of Rugby eh?

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