Bates confident he can cope with dual role at Falcons

11:01am Wednesday 14th May 2008

STEVE BATES insists he can juggle the rebuilding job required at Newcastle this summer with his three-week stint as coach of the England Saxons.

Bates is in the process of finalising his future at Newcastle after replacing the departed John Fletcher as the Falcons' acting director of rugby during a turbulent season at Kingston Park.

The manner of Fletcher's departure prompted an angry response from Newcastle's England international Toby Flood who, like Mathew Tait, has decided to leave the club in the summer.

Newcastle finished the season 11th in the Guinness Premiership, one place above relegated Leeds, and need a strong summer recruitment programme to avoid the drop next year.

Bates hopes much of that will be at least be under way before he takes the Saxons to the Barclays Churchill Cup at the beginning of June.

I think this is a great opportunity for me to learn about what other people are doing, what other players are like and what other coaches are up to. It is a valuable experience,'' said Bates.

Realistically, most clubs are dormant in June and hopefully we will have recruited some players before then and I am looking forward to the Churchill Cup.

It gives us a great opportunity to look at how our players (at Newcastle) compare with other players.'' England will head out to north America as defending champions after their victory over the New Zealand Maori in the final at Twickenham.

And Bates will be in charge of a strong squad, which includes the likes of Leicester winger Tom Varndell, Gloucester flyhalf Ryan Lamb and London Irish scrum-half Paul Hodgson who were unfortunate to miss out on senior selection.

David Wilson, the prop from South Shields, is the only Newcastle Falcons player involved.

He will be joined by former clubmate Lee Dickson, the scrum half who has joined Northampton, but there is no place for back row men Phil Dowson and Ben Woods.

Bates said: "This is a massive opportunity for Davey Wilson, who has been restricted in his opportunities since the arrival of Carl Hayman at Kingston Park.

It is a great opportunity for him to play some competitive rugby.

"Lee Dickson has shown all year what a lively and enthusiastic player he is. The squad is full of bright young prospects and we're going with high expectations of repeating last year's success."

Bates believes that new deal between club and country will give the Saxons players all the motivation they need.

"Under the new agreement the pathway to the seniors is pretty well mapped out. There will be more continuity between the squads. And I'll be telling the players their opportunities to progress will improve if we win the tournament."

Bates will be impressing on his squad how top-quality performances at the Churchill Cup will help press their claims for inclusion in England's elite player squad for next season.

The squad fly to Ottawa on June 2 and the opening match is against the USA a week later.

England Saxons squad Backs: N Abendanon (Bath), A Allen (Gloucester), M Banahan (Bath), L Dickson (Northampton), B Foden (Sale Sharks), P Hodgson (London Irish), A Jarvis (Harlequins), R Lamb (Gloucester), U Monye (Harlequins), O Smith (Leicester), T Varndell (Leicester), D Waldouck (Wasps).

Forwards: S Armitage (London Irish), R Blaze (Leicester), A Brown (Gloucester), G Chuter (Leicester), A Clarke (Bristol), J Crane (Leicester), J Forster (Gloucester), T Guest (Harlequins), C Jones (Sale Sharks), N Lloyd (Saracens), C Robshaw (Harlequins), W Skinner (Harlequins, capt), G Skivington (Wasps), A Titterrell (Gloucester), R Webber (Wasps), D Wilson (Newcastle).

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