TIM Stimpson has won the Premiership with Newcastle Falcons, but the former full-back insists his old club will be lucky to still be dining at English rugby’s top table if they continue to be so generous.

Despite only playing four times in the 1997-98 season – due to a fall-out with Rob Andrew – Stimpson played his part as Newcastle claimed the Premiership title.

That remains the Falcons’ one and only English crown, and they are as far as they can be from adding to it any time soon as they sit bottom of the table without a point after four games.

This is nothing new as since being promoted in 2012 the Falcons have finished second from bottom twice, seeing Worcester Warriors and London Welsh fall through the trapdoor instead.

But Stimpson is only too aware that Newcastle’s luck can last only so long, especially considering they have already shipped 150 points in four games so far this term.

“I suppose they’ve been under threat of relegation not just this season, but every year since they were promoted,” said former England and British & Irish Lion Stimpson, speaking at Wooden Spoon’s Rugby Ball.

“They’ve recruited a lot of young talent and created a good brand of rugby, but they’ve got to start winning.

“When I last saw Dean Richards, I’ve seen that look before of sheer frustration. You can’t gift so many points at that level to your opposition and expect to win.

“Without being disrespectful, it’s the same reason England lost to Wales at the World Cup; they gave them so many three points for Wales to then be brilliant and steal the game.

“So Newcastle have got to stop giving away soft points, and take advantage of the pressure they create, and if they don’t they will get relegated.”

Last season Newcastle won just five of their 22 league games but avoided relegation due to the fact London Welsh failed to pick up a single victory.

But with the Exiles now plying their trade in the Championship – and an impressive Worcester side re-taking their place in the top flight – Stimpson knows Dean Richards’ men need to pick up a first win of the season and fast.

“I think the absence of the likes of a London Welsh, like they had last season, has made their task a lot more difficult,” he added.

“When there’s a genuine battle with teams of parity then you’ve got to turn up on the day, and you could have picked at the start of the season who would be the two or three teams at the bottom.

“So Deano is trying to grow a young side and has not had the pressure of relegation because of London Welsh.

“Hopefully he has been able to instil a confidence and a way of playing that means those guys can perform when it matters, but in the first couple of games they have done the opposite.”

Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards has made five changes to his starting line-up as his side returns to domestic duty at Sale Sharks this afternoon.

Marcus Watson is rewarded for his four-try display against Russian side Enisei-STM last weekend with a first Premiership start on the wing.

Experienced centre duo Adam Powell and Juan Pablo Socino will team up together for the first time this season, with Mike Delany returning to the fly-half spot he vacated during the European fortnight.

Falcons were strong up front last weekend, so Richards’ only change to the pack sees Nili Latu returning to the side in place of Dan Temm.

Falcons: Tait, Venditti, Powell, Socino, Watson, Delany, Young; Vickers, McGuigan, Welsh, Green, Robinson, M Wilson, Welch, Latu.

Replacements: Lawson, Rogers, Vea, Botha, Hogg, Tipuna, Catterick, Harris.

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