DEAN RICHARDS was delighted to see Teessider Zach Kibirige back to his best as Newcastle Falcons trounced Russian side Enisei-STM in the European Challenge Cup to claim their first win of the season.

Falcons ran in nine tries as they cruised to a 55-7 victory at Kingston Park, with Marcus Watson crossing the line on four occasions, Mark Wilson claiming three scores and Kibirige claiming the other two successes.

The former Yarm School student, who missed most of last season after fracturing his leg, was making his first competitive start of the current campaign against the reigning Russian champions.

He was named Man of the Match after a barnstorming display, and Richards was quick to praise the maturity of the 21-year-old’s performance.

“Zach showed his finishing ability, but it is not just down to strength or speed,” said the Falcons director of rugby. “It comes down to what you have got between your ears, and the determination to make it happen.

“He showed that in the try he scored for England Under-20s here a year or two ago when he went the length (of the pitch).

“We know he has got it, the issue has been getting him onto the pitch on a consistent basis. Now that he is back out there, we are delighted with what he can do for us.”

Having claimed a losing bonus point in last weekend’s narrow defeat in Brive, yesterday’s win leaves Falcons well-placed in the Challenge Cup pool.

A much tougher test awaits when they return to domestic duty in the Aviva Premiership against Sale Sharks this weekend, but Richards was nevertheless pleased with the professional manner in which his players handled themselves against limited, if spirited, opposition.

“You have to go out there, play the game and win,” he said. “In some ways, people might look at the opposition and say they expected you to beat them.

“If you don’t score the tries, people will point fingers, but the fact is we did score them. The boys came out on top, and we ended with smiles on our faces.”

Newcastle’s most dramatic try was their first one, with Kibirige clattering into the advertising hoardings as he successfully dotted down after racing on to Tom Catterick’s grubber kick.

Wilson scored twice in the opening half-hour, with Watson also rounding off an 80-yard counter-attack, but Enisei got themselves on the scoreboard when winger Denis Simplikevich crossed in the corner.

Wilson and Watson scored again either side of half-time, before Kibirige burst through two tackles to claim his second try. Watson had the final say, adding two further tries in the dying minutes.

Newcastle Falcons: Tait (Willis 63), Kibirige, Penny, Harris (Powell 63), Watson, Catterick, Young (Tipuna 57); Vickers (Rogers 55), McGuigan (Lawson 55), Welsh (Vea 55), Green, Robinson (Witty 55), Welch (Mayhew 68), Temm, Wilson.